No Matter What
by Nightstar Fury
Summary: Hiccup Haddock is left heartbroken by the woman he loves after he learned that she was unfaithful while Hiccup was serving overseas. Astrid Hofferson steps in to pick up the pieces of his broken heart while the two end up falling in love and binding their lives together when Hiccup understands that she would always be there, as he would be for her no matter what. Hicstrid Paring!
1. Chapter 1

**No Matter What**

Rated: M

Pairings: Hiccup X Astrid

Disclaimer; I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, but I do own the rights to my OC characters!

 **Chapter One**

=Astrid's POV=

 _{August 31, 2009-Monday}_

I stood before the entrance of the school I've been attending since I was fifteen-years-old knowing full well that this would be my last year at Berkian Dragon Academy because today, I'm walking through these doors as Senior. My name is Astrid Hofferson, and I'm currently seventeen. I have blond hair and blue eyes. Also, I'm known for wearing my hair in a braid, black or gray leggings with a shirt. The shirt didn't matter for me as long as it wasn't pink or yellow. The time was 7:15 am, and the school day would start at 7:30 am, then run until 2:15 pm. I held my schedule in my hand, glancing it over because it had all my information on it. Classes, locker, and stable for my dragon. I smiled as I walked past the entryway and took a deep breath. I couldn't believe this was my final year here, and also that after I passed Dragon Training, I would get my flier license. This place was incredible, and I never got tired of being here, which you don't hear a lot of students say; that they _like_ school, but I loved it.

Berkian Dragon Academy was equipped to handle all necessary High School courses and Dragon Training ones. However, the school worked on a two color-coded day process; black and white days. This meant that one a black day we had specific classes, and on white; we had the others, but never all on the same day. It was so we didn't get overwhelmed with work or something like that. I looked at my schedule again.

 **Black Day:**

 **7:30 to 8:25-Language Arts  
8:30 to 9:25-Choir  
9:30 to 10:25-History  
10:30 to 11:25-Physical Education/Health  
11:30 to 12:15-Lunch  
12:20 to 2:15-Dragon Training**

 **White Day:**

 **7:30 to 8:25-Science  
8:30 to 9:25-Spanish  
9:30 to 10:25-Math  
10:30 to 11:25-Home Economics  
11:30 to 12:15-Lunch  
12:20 to 2:15-Dragon Training**

Yes, Dragon Training was on both days and took up two blocks because we learned everything; laws, training, care, and riding. There were after school programs too, and I was on the academy's dragon racing team! It was Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 2:30 to 5:30 pm, and of course, our team competed against other ones around the island. Friday's were usually race days. I loved it, and I'd been on the team since Sophomore Year; that's when we could qualify for a Fliers Permit, and that allowed bonded dragon owners under eighteen to fly their dragons at a limited height, speed, and distance traveled. I guess that's it for school-related bits of my life.

I have a mom, Asvora, and my dad, Garet. My bonded dragon is a Deadly Nadder, female who I named Stormfly. My dragon has yellow eyes and is blue, with a white belly, and red on the wings but her tail as yellow and blue spines. Oh, I have an Uncle Finn too; he's the one who told me to always be strong and shoot for my dreams. I have some awesome and…strange friends also, but I wouldn't trade them for the world. There are three girls and four guys in our little group; Heather Berserk, Fishlegs Ingerman, Snotlout and Adelaide Jorgenson, Ruffnut and Tuffnut Thorston, and finally, Throk Wington. Four of those friends are dating; Throk and Ruffnut, and also, Fishlegs and Heather. Snotlout has been trying to hook up with me for two years, but I don't like him in a romantic sense; just friends.

All my friends have dragons. Heather Berserk has black hair and green eyes; she is sixteen with a female Razorwhip named Windshear. Also, Heather has an older brother, Dagur, who works for the island. Dagur has a dragon too, a male Gronckle that he named Shattermaster. Fishlegs Ingerman is sixteen; blond hair with green eyes, and is bonded to a female Gronckle called Meatlug. Heather and Fishlegs got together at the end of our Junior Year when summer began. Next on the list is Snotlout and Adelaide Jorgenson. Now, Adelaide is actually a Freshman and only fourteen, but she has a bonded dragon, and that's how she came to be at this school. Adelaide has brown hair, and baby-blue eyes; she has a female Razorwhip named Silverwind; her elder brother, Snotlout is sixteen with brown hair and light blue eyes, bonded to a male Monstrous Nightmare called Hookfang.

Ruffnut and Tuffnut Thorston; both have pale blond hair and blue eyes. Also, they are sixteen and share a male Hideous Zippleback. Tuffnut named the left head Belch whereas the right is called Barf by Ruffnut; the two ride on the necks of the head the named. Finally, there is Throk Wington who is seventeen with red hair and brown eyes. Throk is bonded to a male Gronckle named Stonefire, and he has been dating Ruffnut since the beginning of Junior Year; September 2008 when the academy held a welcome back dance. So yeah, that's all my friends. We've known one another since middle school; the fifth grade to be exact. The eight of us got paired together for a project and ended up becoming best friends; here we are now about to graduate together from the best school on the entire island.

Yes, we lived on an island called Archi, and it was right off the coast of Rhode Island. However, we governed ourselves because we were too far out to be considered part of the United States of America. Our president declared us Archian State, with our central city being known as Arc City. The city was in the middle and surrounded by smaller towns such as; Berkville(Berk), Outdale(Outcast), Meatsfield(Meathead), Berzton(Berserker), Shiverhurst(Shivering Shores), Visimar(Visithug), Lavawick(Lava-Lout), Murdstead(Murderous), Bogham(Bog-Burglar), Ugbury(Uglithug), Bashford(Bashem), Peacehaven(Peaceable), Hystpool(Hysteria), and Huntsmount(Hunter). Everything was relatively easy to get too, and never more than two hours by dragon flight, much longer by motor vehicle.

"Astrid!" I heard Heather call to me; I smiled wide and turned around to see her rushing into hug me tightly. "It's been so long!" she stated.

"It's only been two weeks," I laughed a little after we pulled apart.

"And that's too long!" Heather exclaimed.

"Can you believe this is our last year here!?" Snotlout stated coming in next with Adelaide next to him.

"Hard to believe," Fishlegs interjected while walking up and kissing Heather's cheek gently.

"I gotta run Adelaide to her class, but I'll catch you later," Snotlout informed as he led his younger sister to her first-period classroom since she didn't know the school yet, and there was still five minutes until the bell rung.

"Hey, guys!" Tuffnut called while strolling over with Ruffnut and Throk.

"This will be the best year," Throk smiled.

"What do you have for first class?" Ruffnut inquired.

"I have Language Arts," I told them. "I'm headed to D-Hall, anyone else headed that way?"

"Same here," Fishlegs put his finger up.

"I think mine is Science," Heather pulled her schedule out to check. "Yep, in E," she muttered

"We got History in B-Hall," Tuffnut remarked.

"I believe I have Math," Throk said last. "In C-Hall," he added.

"Well, we best get going then. It wouldn't look good to be late on the first day of Senior Year," I waved to them before heading down the D-Hall which would lead me to C. The school was basically a square with two break-off hallways for E, F, and G. Halls A, B, C, and D were what made up the square going in a clockwise direction. Berkian Dragon Academy was for grades ninth through twelfth. The G hallway was only for the locker room entrance and gymnasium. However, F-Hall stemmed off of G. F was for Home Ec, Choir, Band, Spanish, French, and Italian courses.

A-Hall was the main office, nurse, computer labs, health rooms, nurse, and guidance office. The library was located in this hall too. C Hall held the Math classrooms. B was History. E was for Science. D Hall was for Language Arts. Each corridor had about the same amount of rooms. For Dragon Training, we had an outdoor field with a small indoor classroom for learning about the laws and history regarding dragons. Also outside were the stables for our dragons to sit in while we had other classes all day. I reached my classroom; D-12, which was on the left side of the hallway and walked in. Right behind me was Fishlegs; we grabbed two spots and sat down to wait for class to begin.

 _{Lunch; Cafeteria}_

As usual; the first day of classes were going over rules, getting our textbooks, picking where we would sit for the rest of the year, and only be moved if the teacher felt it was necessary. Oh, and the always fun introductions took place; a way for everyone to get to know one another. It sucked, but at least we didn't get homework. Finally, it was time to eat! I raced to the cafeteria but was stopped by the headmaster of the academy, Alvin Ogglebert.

"Miss. Hofferson," Alvin stated.

"U-Um, yes, sir?" I replied nervously.

"We have a new student; she came a bit late, and I need someone to be her guide until she gets used to things. Seeing as…you are a top student here, would you like the job?"Alvin inquired.

"I just have to show her around?" I asked.

"And answer questions too. I'm placing her in your classes if that's alright?" Alvin stated.

"Yeah, sure, I don't mind. How long do I have to do this for? A couple weeks?" I wondered.

"Yes, two or so. Miss. Boggs just bonded to her dragon at the end of her old school's year, and she applied to come here. I have her in my office, can you come with me to greet her?" I nodded to him as we turned from the cafeteria, and entered the office, then his from there. Stepping in, I saw a woman with long blond hair reaching to behind and ice blue eyes. "Astrid, this is Camicazi Boggs,"

"Hi," I smiled holding out my hand. "I'm Astrid Hofferson," I introduced.

"Camicazi, but I prefer Cami," Camicazi replied shaking my hand now.

"You're in good hands with Astrid, Miss. Boggs; she's all yours, Miss. Hofferson," Alvin smiled.

"Come on; I'm headed to lunch right now, and then afterward we have Dragon Training," I invited. Camicazi nodded and followed me. "So, you're sixteen-seventeen-ish?"

"Seventeen as of August 8th," Camicazi responded.

"That's cool. I'm seventeen too. My birthday is April 29th," I informed as we stepped into the cafeteria. "I'll introduce you to my friends," I led her to the table where they all sat.

"There you are, Astrid. Who do you have with you?" Throk questioned.

"Gang, this is Camicazi Boggs, prefers to be called Cami. The headmaster asked me to be her guide for a few weeks until she gets used to the school. Cami, this is Throk, Heather, Snotlout, Adelaide, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, and Fishlegs. Ruff and Tuff are twins, Snotlout and Adelaide are siblings; she's his younger sister. Uh, Fishlegs and Heather are dating, and so are Throk and Ruffnut," I stated.

"It's…nice to meet all of you," Camicazi said as I sat down and motioned to the spot beside me that way she could join us.

"So, if you're here then you must have a bonded dragon. What kind?" Heather asked.

"Gender, name?" Fishlegs smiled.

"Um. It's a female Changewing, I named her Mimic," Camicazi said.

"That's awesome. My sister and I share a Zippleback," Tuffnut informed.

"I have Hookfang, a Nightmare, and male," Snotlout said proudly.

"Female Razorwhip called Windshear," Heather smiled gently.

"Meatlug is my Gronckle's name, she's female too," Fishlegs said.

"I also have Gronckle. Male with the name of Stonefire," Throk stated.

"And I have a female Deadly Nadder, Stormfly," I told her. "

Camicazi smiled a little as she nodded, showing she heard us. I got the odd feeling that she wasn't much of a talker, or maybe something was wrong, and she didn't want to tell complete strangers? I didn't know, and I suppose it wasn't any of my business. "Thank you for letting me sit with you; I hope we can become friends," Camicazi stated.

"I'm sure we will," Heather replied now. Yeah, I didn't see a reason why we couldn't be. For me, this was perfect. My first day of the final year was turning out to be a great start.


	2. Chapter 2

**No Matter What**

Rated: M

Pairings: Hiccup X Astrid

Disclaimer; I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, but I do own the rights to my OC characters!

 **Chapter Two**

=Normal POV=

The group of friends were inquisitive about Camicazi Boggs; the girl Astrid was charged with guiding for the next few weeks while she adjusted to a new school. All they knew so far was that she was blond haired with ice blue eyes, and bonded to a Changewing named Mimic, who was a female dragon. The time was currently 11:45 am, and they still had a remaining half an hour for lunch, then it was on to Dragon Training until 2:15 pm. All of them were eating their meals; whether they are brought from home or cafeteria provided. Astrid, Snotlout, Adelaide, and Fishlegs had their own, the rest had what was called _hot lunch_. Camicazi had a cold meal; brought from home too. It appeared she was eating a peanut butter and fluff sandwich, then had a water bottle as her drink, and finally, an apple and granola bar.

"So Cami, right?" Snotlout asked as she looked at him. "Uh, where are you from?"

"I was born in Bogham Hearts Hospital, but I lived at Arc Preparatory School since the fifth grade," Camicazi replied.

"And your parents moved to Berkville, so you could come here?" Ruffnut inquired.

"Well, no; they're still in Bogham. I'm staying with my grandparents for now until this year is over, then after that, I'll dorm at whatever college I go to," Camicazi explained.

"When did you bond to Mimic?" Throk questioned.

"Just as my Junior Year was ending in June," Camicazi informed.

"What do your parents do for a living?" Fishlegs wondered.

"Oh. Both of my parents are dragon researchers; continually traveling, and that's why I was in the boarding school," Camicazi said as she checked her phone, then took a drink of her water bottle. "Um, when did all of you meet?" she inquired.

"We met in fifth grade as a matter of fact. It was reading project, and we had to read the story, then act out what happened in it," Heather smiled now.

"Not me, I know them by the association of my brother," Adelaide added in.

"Did you…come here together?" Camicazi looked at the friends.

"Yeah. We all bonded before ninth grade and applied to come to BDA over that summer. Adelaide joined us this year as she went into Freshman Year, and that's the earliest you can get in," Astrid stated gently.

"What do your parents do?" Camicazi asked.

"Well, my dad is a surgeon, and mom is a stay-at-home mom," Astrid responded.

"Our parents own a sandwich shop," Adelaide informed while referring to herself and Snotlout.

"My mom is a psychiatrist, and dad in a garage fixing cars," Fishlegs said next.

"My dad is an emergency room doctor, and mom works for The Sanctuary Preserve," Throk informed.

"My parents passed away. Mom when I was born, and my dad in a car accident," Heather revealed softly.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. Are you…living with grandparents, aunts, or uncles?" Camicazi said sadly, feeling sympathetic.

"My older brother, Dagur has legal custody over me as my father stated in his will. Right now, we're living in a two-bedroom apartment," Heather replied.

"Our dad works for a company that builds boats and submarines for the military, and mom works as an assistant manager for the grocery store," Ruffnut stated as Tuffnut nodded.

"It sounds like you all lead wonderful lives," Camicazi smiled a bit, then looked down.

"Forgive my curiosity, but is something wrong?" Astrid asked.

"Hm? Oh, no. No, I'm okay. I just miss my boyfriend," Camicazi replied.

"Where is he?" Adelaide wondered.

"Is he in another school?" Snotlout inquired.

"Was he unable to follow you here because he doesn't have a bonded dragon?" Tuffnut stated.

"My boyfriend has a bonded dragon, and he's currently in-," Camicazi started to say when her phone lit up on the table, vibrating too. Astrid cast a quick glance to the screen where a picture came up of Camicazi kissing a male with auburn hair and freckles on his cheeks and nose. The name showed as; **My Marine**. "Excuse me a minute," Camicazi smiled more as she answered the call and lifted the device up, so the front camera would show her face to her boyfriend. "Hey, baby,"

 _~Hello, Milady. How are you this afternoon?~_ came a male voice.

"I'm good. How are you?" Camicazi replied.

 _~Exhausted. Just came out of an end of phase test; we start two tomorrow at 5 am.~_

"How did you do on the exam?" Cami wondered.

 _~I assume good since I'm moving on. Are you at school right now?~_

"Lunch until 12:15, then Dragon Training," Camicazi informed.

" _How's Mimic adjusting to the change?"_

"I think she's okay. How's Toothless liking it there?" Camicazi responded calmly. The group wondered who Toothless was; it had to be the boyfriend's bonded dragon, but why name it the exact opposite of what it was?

 _~He loves it. We get to go flying every night during personal time.~_

"I'm glad. I really miss you," Camicazi said."How much longer do you have to be there?"

 _~Well, we just finished phase one, and there's still nine more weeks to go of boot camp. And then don't forget I have the job duty training for two months as well.~_

"You don't get any time in between the two?" Camicazi frowned.

 _~I'm not sure; we haven't been told anything yet. Once I know more, I'll let you know, okay? Anyway, how do you like Berkian Dragon Academy? I heard it's the best school around.~_

"I haven't seen much of it yet, I only just arrived at 11:30 am," Cami informed him. "Headmaster Ogglebert assigned a guide to me for a few weeks. I'm sitting with her and her friends right now. So what are you doing right now?" Camicazi asked.

 _~Finished lunch and had a few minutes to contact you. I know it's been a few weeks.~_

"Do they take your phones or something?" Camicazi questioned

 _~No, but we do have to keep them off a majority of the time; something about them interfering with training. I miss you.~_

"I miss you more," Camicazi said

 _~I doubt that.~_

"Promise that I'll get to see you soon?" Cami looked at him.

 _~I can only promise to try, Cami. I don't know what's going on after training is done; I already told you that I might get sent right to my duty station. I do vow, though, that when I finally get to see you again; I will hold you in my arms and remind you how much I love you.~_

Camicazi smiled and blushed a bit. "I will hold you to that," At that moment, she heard someone yell for him that they had to go.

 _~Alright, Milady; I guess I gotta go for now. I'll call you the next time I can. I love you, Camicazi.~_

"I love you too, baby," Camicazi answered lovingly; she blew a kiss to the phone and the others heard a return kiss noise. After that, the call ended as she put her phone back down. "Sorry about that. I haven't seen him since he left for boot camp at the beginning of this month,"

"Oh, it's okay. So, your boyfriend is in the military?" Astrid smiled.

"Yeah, he's gonna be a Marine," Camicazi told her.

"And to be that he's gotta train for five months?"Ruffnut blinked.

"Yep. I guess he has to do thirteen weeks of Boot Camp, then he goes on to train for the specific job he chose at the military entrance processing station before he was sworn in," Camicazi nodded.

"What job did he choose?" Fishlegs inquired.

"Uh, I think it was Infantry something or other. I know he has the three months of Boot, then two months for Job, after that, I think he gets stationed,"Camicazi shrugged a bit.

"How long have you two been together?" Snotlout questioned curiously.

"We've been in a relationship since we were fifteen," Camicazi replied. "We met June 2006, started dating August 8th of the same year,"

"You…mentioned he had a bonded dragon?" Throk reminded.

"Oh, yes. Toothless," Camicazi stated.

"I don't believe I'm familiar with that species," Fishlegs tilted his head.

"Toothless isn't a species, Fishlegs; that's what my boyfriend named his dragon when they bonded," Camicazi informed.

"So, what kind of dragon does he have then?" Snotlout inquired.

"A Night Fury," Camicazi remarked as their table went silent. "What?"

"A NIGHT FURY?!" they exclaimed in shock. Camicazi nodded.

"No Night Furies have been seen in nearly a hundred-fifty years," Heather said quickly.

"Well, Hiccup and Toothless bonded when they were younger, like we're talking six-years-old," Camicazi shrugged. "Night Furies are around; just rare, and don't get along with other dragons. According to my boyfriend at least. The story I got told was that Hiccup's mom used to work with endangered dragons, and one time she brought Hiccup to her job, and he bonded to Toothless right away when no one else could even get close. The two are inseparable,"

"Do you have any pictures?" Fishlegs asked excitedly. Cami nodded as she pulled up a good shot of her boyfriend and Toothless together, then turned the phone around so they could see it. "Woah!"

"This was right before he left for Reception Week, the pre-boot camp training where they get uniforms and set up a bunch of other stuff for their military careers," Camicazi stated. "And the funniest thing is that Hiccup and Toothless are the same age too,"

"That's incredible! And your boyfriend, his name is Hiccup?" Astrid inquired.

"Yep!" Cami nodded proudly. Astrid continued to look at the picture; Hiccup appeared to be five foot seven inches with auburn hair and green eyes.

"Hiccup looks our age," Tuffnut pointed out.

"Oh! Well, that's because he is. Hiccup is seventeen, going on eighteen at the end of February," Camicazi admitted.

"Uh, then why isn't in school too? You need a High School diploma and parental consent to join at seventeen," Ruffnut enlightened.

"Hiccup graduated last year," Camicazi stated.

"How?" Snotlout blinked.

"Because my boyfriend skipped Junior Year and went from tenth to twelfth grade. So, his Senior Year was from September 2008 to June 2009; he graduated June 19th, then started the process to join the Archian State Armed Forces as a Marine. Hiccup left August 3rd for Reception week, then by the 7th, he was on his way to boot camp, which is where he's at now," Camicazi explained.

"Wait. Your boyfriend; would he happen to be Hiccup Haddock?" Throk asked now.

"Um, yeah, actually. How'd you know that?" Camicazi wondered.

"Who doesn't know him? He's Stoick and Valka Haddock's only son," Throk informed.

"Not following, babe," Ruffnut looked at him.

"You…don't know who Stoick and Valka Haddock are?" Ruffnut shook her head, all of them did actually. "Valka Haddock founded The Sanctuary Preserve. That place does everything; rescuing, rehabilitating, and protecting. Valka was the best dragon doctor in all of Archian State. And her husband, Stoick is a former military man himself. Stoick was a Major General for the ASAF Army; responsible for killing Drago Bludvist, and ending what would be Dragon War Two,"

"Hiccup is _their_ son!?" the friends said with wide eyes now.

"Yep," Camicazi smiled broadly. The horn sounded signaling the end of lunch as everyone got up and cleared their areas, then they all moved as a group to the field for Dragon Training; still trying to process that Camicazi's boyfriend was not only a soldier but also the owner of a Night Fury, and the son of two very well known people.


	3. Chapter 3

**No Matter What**

Rated: M

Pairings: Hiccup X Astrid

Disclaimer; I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, but I do own the rights to my OC characters!

 **Chapter Three**

=Camicazi's POV=

 _{November 10_ _th_ _, 2009; Tuesday}_

Today marked exactly three months since Hiccup started boot camp to become an Archian State Marine. I was proud of him; following in his father's footsteps as he always said he wanted to do. Hiccup and I have been dating since August 8th, 2007, right before Sophomore Year began. See, we met at the beach after bumping into one another in the water. The two of us had so much fun that we went out a little too far, and I had trouble keeping my head above the water. Hiccup helped me back to shore so I could catch my breath. For the rest of that day, we hung out and ended up exchanging numbers. Through the rest of June, we talked every day. In July, Hiccup asked me out on a date to the movies, and I accepted. We did that once a week, and a few picnics here and there. Finally, in August; he told me how he felt for me, and I returned those feelings. Hiccup asked me to be his girlfriend, and I said yes.

August 8th, 2009 marked two years for us being in a relationship. However, we didn't get to celebrate it together because Hiccup left for his Reception Battalion on the 3rd of August, and then when the 7th hit, he was on his way to boot camp for training. Hiccup did call me on the eighth, but we had celebrated on the 1st of the month with dinner and a movie, then making love at his house. Yes, Hiccup and I were sexually active; we began doing it after we'd been together for a year and a half. I didn't have to live at Arc Preparatory during the Summer, and since I was sixteen, my parents trusted me to be at home when they weren't. However, Hiccup's parents had been out, and we were already there. One thing led to another during a heated make-out session, and we ended up having sex. Protected, of course, and both consented.

Hiccup and I both went to the same school and were in different housing units; there was one for males and another for the females. Arc Prep was a prestigious education center and had a limited number of students to only four hundred students. Two hundred boys, and the same amount for girls. This did not include the teaching staff or headmistress. Once school started for us in September 2007, Hiccup and I could only see one another in classes, during meals, and the weekends; this was the only time students were allowed off campus. From 4 pm Friday night to 9 pm Sunday night was the time-frame we had to abide by. The weekends were the only time that Hiccup and I could make love to one another, and it was always at his house since my parents didn't like me alone with a boy. Hiccup's dad knew we had sex, and didn't care as long as we were safe about it, and quiet if he was home. My parents didn't know, and I didn't plan on telling them because they would lose their heads over it.

So, my birthday is August 8th. Sound familiar? That's right, Hiccup asked me to be his girlfriend on my birthday. Not only do I get to celebrate being a year older, but also another year with Hiccup as my lover. I think it's kinda neat. Hiccup's birthday is February 29th, but we get to enjoy that on the 28th since the 29th only comes every four years. Oh, did I mention that Hiccup is the reason I bonded to Mimic? Yep, he helped me bond because Changewings weren't easy to train. Hiccup has a way with dragons, especially the Strike Class ones. As soon as all the legal documentation was straightened out to name me Mimic's rider and trainer, I put in my application to attend Berkian Dragon Academy since I knew that Hiccup wouldn't be joining me at Arc Prep for Senior Year. My initial plan was to graduate together, then take our licensing exams at an outside location. However, Hiccup ended up skipping the 11th grade and did his final year September 2008 to June 2009. In that, the had his flier and trainer license upon graduation.

I wasn't upset that he jumped a grade; Hiccup was smart. It only bothered me a bit when he started joining the military early because it meant I wouldn't see him through my final year of school. A lot of Hiccup's entry process happened the rest of June and July after he got sworn in, he was told when he would leave for Reception Week. Boot Camp wasn't determined until after his Reception things were done. As soon as he knew, he snuck a text to me so I would know. I really missed him, but things at BDA were keeping me distracted. I made great friends with Astrid, Ruffnut, Throk, Heather, Snotlout, Fishlegs, and Tuffnut. Astrid was basically my best friend; we had all our classes together. Dragon Training was the best, and I couldn't believe that three months of the last school year had passed! The only thing that sucked was that I hadn't heard from Hiccup since that day in the lunch room when I started at BDA. I knew he was busy training, but it sucked that they couldn't really use their phones during Personal Time.

I had read up on the Boot Camp schedule; up at 5 am and down by 9 pm. Meals at 6:30 am, 12:30 pm, and 5:30 pm again. Personal Time from 8 pm to 9. Of all the stories and videos I saw about boot camp, I hoped that Hiccup was handling it okay. Today was Friday the 10th of November, and two or so weeks, we'd have Thanksgiving vacation. January was Midterms, so I was working hard and preparing for those; I did not care that it was still two months away. There was no excuse not to be ready for a huge test that went to the overall grade for our first semester.

"Cami!" Astrid's voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

"Hm? Yeah?" I replied.

"Are ya with us?" Astrid giggled a bit.

"Sorry, I was thinking about Hiccup," I admitted.

"We know you miss him," Fishlegs mentioned. We were at lunch right now, and I was wondering if I'd get to hear from Hiccup for Thanksgiving or not.

"Well, the three months is up; maybe you'll get to hear from him before he goes on to more training?" Astrid offered. I really hoped that was the case.

=Normal POV=

 _{November 12, 2009}_

Astrid felt like a terrible friend. Ever since she saw the picture of Camicazi's boyfriend three months ago; she couldn't get the auburn-haired, green-eyed teenager out of her mind. Astrid didn't understand what was wrong with her! How could she have him stuck in her mind when they had never met? Much more so, why did Astrid think about Hiccup? Sure, the guy was extremely good looking, but why couldn't she get him out of her head? Another thing Astrid wondered about; why hadn't she known about the Haddock family? None of her friends did except Throk apparently. Everyone knew about The Sanctuary Preserve, but I didn't know that Hiccup's mother had founded it, or that she was a top dragon doctor in Archian State. The time now was 7:45 pm and her homework was done. Might as well sit online for a little bit.

Astrid logged into her social media page and then another tab. In the search bar, she typed; _Stoick Haddock_ then clicked go as a few things came up about the man. Astrid checked out a few of them regarding his military days and was shocked to learn that Stoick received the Distinguished Service Cross for his exemplary military service to the Archian State Army, and leading the team that took down Drago Bludvist and stopped the second dragon war that had been starting. The article also mentioned Stoick's bonded dragon; Thornado, a male Thunderdrum. All that got stated about Hiccup was that he was Stoick's son.

Astrid mumbled a bit, then cleared the search information before typing in Valka's name. A lot more came up about her. Astrid read about Valka founding The Sanctuary Preserve, and all her work with the dragons plus her education and growing up. However, not much about her family other than that she had a husband, son, and bonded dragon named Cloudjumper who was a male Stormcutter. Astrid sighed; she assumed there wasn't much about Hiccup as she clicked a link for the preserve's web page. Astrid scrolled through it until she came across a link; **About the Founder**. Astrid clicked it as a whole page came up about Valka's life with links to individual sections of the information. Something at the bottom of the page caught her eye. Valka's Obituary.

Astrid began to read. "Valka Haddock, 35 of Arc City, passes away from stage four breast cancer after a long battle with the disease while surrounded by friends and family on December 20th, 2007 at her home residence around 7:40 pm. Valka leaves behind her parents, Walter and Runa Holgerson, a husband, former Major General Stoick Haddock, 45, of the Archian State Army and one son, Hiccup Haddock, 15. Valka also leaves behind dragons; Cloudjumper(Stormcutter) owned by self, Thornado(Thunderdrum) owned by Stoick, and Toothless(Night Fury) owned by Hiccup. Valka was a woman of love and kindness to all, a beautiful wife and mother; she will be much missed and forever remembered in our hearts,"

Astrid couldn't believe it. Hiccup's mother passed away two years ago in December, five days before Christmas! Astrid scrolled a bit more to see pictures of Valka with her family, dragons, and staff members. Astrid was oddly surprised to see a video labeled as; **My son bonding with a dragon**. Astrid pressed play and was able to see a very young Hiccup bonding with Toothless; it was cute. Another video showed Hiccup at fifteen standing with his parents and saying that when he got older, he would follow in his father's footsteps and join the military. Astrid closed her laptop when a video started after that of the funeral. No, she wouldn't watch that. Astrid decided to go take a shower and try to clear her mind.

 _{November 16, 2009; Monday}_

It was 10:30 am on a black day with the friends in their gym class. After this is was lunch, then dragon training on the field. Today, the students were going to start things off with their fifteen-minute workout, then a rousing game of basketball as the weather wasn't permitting an outdoor activity. At the moment, their teacher seemed to be running late, so most of them were sitting on the bleachers.

"Where is our teacher?" Ruffnut mumbled.

"Who knows," Snotlout shrugged.

Suddenly, the doors opened as the teacher walked in, then the headmaster. "Miss. Boggs," Alvin said. Camicazi quickly stood, not understanding why the principal needed to see her. "There's someone here to see you," Camicazi blinked wondering if it might be her parents. However, Alvin stepped aside as a man in uniform strolled in.

"Oh my god!" Cami said in shock. "Hiccup?!" she asked as the man gave a grin.

"Hello, Milady," he greeted. Camicazi looked like she was about to cry as she rushed down from the bleachers and right into his arms. Camicazi locked her legs and arms around him, hugging him tightly. It was then the friends understood that this was Hiccup Haddock.


	4. Chapter 4

**No Matter What**

Rated: M

Pairings: Hiccup X Astrid

Disclaimer; I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, but I do own the rights to my OC characters!

 **Chapter Four**

Nobody expected Camicazi's boyfriend to show up unannounced to school, but he did. Camicazi looked so shocked and her face lit up like a Christmas tree as she raced down the bleachers the class had been sitting on while waiting for their physical education teacher to arrive so the course could begin. Hiccup walked in after Alvin told Camicazi that someone had come to see her, and then her boyfriend made himself known coming into the gymnasium while still in uniform. Hiccup wore a long sleeve olive green button down shirt with a black tie that was held in place with a silver clip. Hiccup's look was completed by long black pants and shoes then a dark gray belt that had a silver buckle, and finally, there was a black name tag that read _Haddock_ in white letters. The friends if Camicazi found it both cute and curious. Hadn't Camicazi said that Hiccup would be gone training for five months?

Camicazi had no words for how happy she was that Hiccup was there, and she was in his arms. At the moment, her legs and arms were wrapped around his figure and his arms locked around her waist. The embrace lasted a good minute or two before Camicazi pulled back and cupped his cheeks as they kissed lightly.

"Gods, I have missed you," Camicazi said afterward.

"I've missed you as well, Milady," Hiccup replied as Camicazi lowered her legs and Hiccup placed her feet on the floor carefully as they hugged and kissed again. The kiss broke as Camicazi sniffled and wiped her eyes.

"Awe, come on. No crying; you know I can't stand to see you cry," Hiccup reminded.

"I can't help it. I haven't seen you since the beginning of August," Camicazi informed as she hugged him tightly again.

"At-hem," Alvin cleared his throat as Hiccup faced him. "I'm only allowing this because of who you are to me, son,"

"I know, Mr. Ogglebert. Thank you, I appreciate it," Hiccup gave a nod of his head.

"Ah, well. Your old man saved my life back in the day. I don't think I'd even be standing here without him and that godfather of yours. And you don't have to call me that," Alvin smiled.

"Out of respect," Hiccup offered.

"I'm pleased to see that you're following in their footsteps, lad. And it might be two years late, but I'm sorry about your mother; she was a good woman," Alvin offered his hand. "Thank you for your service,"

Hiccup shook Alvin's with a nod. "Thank you for yours," After that, Alvin began heading for the door.

"You tell your old man that Snipeshooter Al says hi," Alvin stated.

"Will do," Hiccup replied and then Alvin was gone.

"I didn't know the headmaster was part of your family?" Camicazi blinked.

"Well, an unofficial part of. Alvin has known me since I was born because my dad, Gobber, and he are old friends from the military," Hiccup shrugged a bit.

"I never knew Alvin was in the military," the gym teacher stated.

"Al doesn't talk about it much, but he doesn't care who knows either. Sergeant Ogglebert was medically discharged at the age of twenty-nine after being shot at close range with a handgun on his third tour of duty. My dad and godfather left the extraction point to go back and find Alvin once he realized he was missing; this action saved Alvin's life. I've always seen as an uncle," Hiccup informed. "Alvin joined at eighteen; he only served eleven years of military service,"

"Huh. Well, you learn something new every day I suppose," the teacher shrugged.

"Not that mind you being home, but I thought you still had two more months?" Camicazi inquired with a smile.

"We all get ten days leave time before going onto the next section of training because we get broken up based on what job we chose," Hiccup informed.

"Oh, right," Camicazi nodded. "So, you're home from today to…the 25th?"

"Yeah, right before Thanksgiving," Hiccup mumbled.

"We'll just have to celebrate early then," Camicazi stated as Hiccup kissed her forehead. "Do you get time off after two months is up?"

"Not sure yet," Hiccup replied. "We can talk more about it later. For now, I promised Uncle Al that me being here wouldn't be a distraction to you,"

"You expect me to focus on school when you're home?" Camicazi asked.

"You can do it," Hiccup poked her nose. "Come on, let's go sit down," Camicazi nodded as she held his hand and walked over to the bleachers again.

"Does your dad know you're home?"Camicazi wondered.

"Yeah. I saw him first, and Gobber," Hiccup responded as she sat down on the bleachers and then Hiccup beside her since Astrid moved over to give him room to sit next to his girlfriend.

"Does that mean I can come over tonight?" Camicazi questioned.

"Of course," Hiccup nodded. "You can ride home with me on Toothless,"

"Yay!" Camicazi hugged him tightly.

"So, who is ready to get their exercise on? We'll do ten minutes of that, and then choose our activity for the day," the teacher inquired.

"Do we have to?" Snotlout groaned.

"Warming up is essential, Mr. Jorgenson," the teacher sighed heavily. "Come now. Everybody up, and find a spot on the floor," he instructed. Camicazi moved with her friends as Hiccup sat back to watch. "First we'll start with six push and sit-ups," the class groaned as the got on their backs to do sit-ups, then it moved to push-ups, which as Hiccup noticed, no one was doing correctly. Hiccup moved near Camicazi.

"Fix your positioning, Cami. If your hands slip, you will face plant the floor hard," Hiccup said as he took off his tie and long-sleeve, leaving him in a gray t-shirt. After that, he got on the floor to show her how to be. "Come on, I'll do it with you," Camicazi and Hiccup both did the six push-ups.

"Outstanding, Mr. Haddock," the teacher smiled. Hiccup got up, then helped Cami to her feet. The exercising continued for another ten minutes, and then it turned into a rousing game of basketball. Hiccup ended up playing because the teams were uneven. When there were eight minutes of class left, the teacher let them head into the locker rooms to change. After the bell rang, they all moved right across the hall into the cafeteria. The friends sat down at the table after getting their lunches out, then started eating. Hiccup sat down next to Camicazi as she leaned her head on his shoulder, holding his hand.

"I'm so glad you're here," Camicazi sighed out contently.

"Me too, even if it is only for nine more days. Speaking of days; where is your lunch today?" Hiccup asked her.

"Uh, I, um…forgot it at my grandparent's house this morning because I woke up late and had to rush out to get here on time," Camicazi admitted with a blush. Hiccup chuckled a bit as he reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet, then handed her a twenty.

"You know the lunches are only $5 a max, don't you?" Camicazi blinked.

"It's the smallest bill I have, so go get something to eat," Hiccup told her. Camicazi nodded as she kissed his cheek then hurried over to the line.

"So, you're the famous Hiccup that Cami never stops talking about?" Tuffnut inquired.

"That would be me. And you must be the friends she mentioned back at the end of August when I called," Hiccup replied with a smile.

"We are. I'm Ruffnut Thorston, and this is my twin brother, Tuffnut," Ruffnut said proudly.

"Nice to meet you," Hiccup gave a nod.

"I'm Heather Berserk, and this is my boyfriend, Fishlegs Ingerman," Heather introduced as Hiccup shook Fishlegs's and Heather's hands.

"I'm Throk Wington, and also Ruffnut's boyfriend," Throk informed.

"Wington?" Hiccup asked as Throk nodded. "I've heard that name before,"

"It's probably because my mother works for The Sanctuary Preserve; her name is Hildegard Wington," Throk stated.

"Ah! Yes, now I remember. It's been a while since I've been there," Hiccup replied.

"No worries," Throk smiled.

"I'm Snotlout Jorgenson, and this is my little sister, Adelaide; she's a Freshman here," Snotlout enlightened.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all, and thank you for helping Cami feel so welcome," Hiccup said. "Though, I don't believe I caught your name?" he turned to Astrid.

"O-Oh. I'm, uh, Astrid. Astrid Hofferson," Astrid stammered a bit as her eyes met his green ones, and she almost melted at his smile.

Hiccup put his hand out to her. "Astrid; it means Divine Beauty in Viking culture. Very fitting, Miss. Hofferson. An honor to meet you, I am Hiccup Haddock," he said as Astrid tried not to blush while shaking his hand since Camicazi had returned to the table.

"And she's also my best friend," Camicazi smiled as she sat down and handed Hiccup a wrapped burger. "I noticed you also didn't have lunch, Hiccup, so I got your favorite. Oh, and here's the change. Thank you," she handed him the bills and change. Hiccup placed the bills away, and then the coins in his pocket as he took the burger from her.

"Thanks," Hiccup smiled.

"So, what are you going to be in the Marines, Hiccup?" Adelaide questioned.

"Infantry Rifleman," Hiccup replied as he began to remove the wrapper on the food.

"So, you're next bit of training is School of Infantry, right?" Camicazi asked.

"You got it, beautiful," Hiccup nodded.

"And then you get your duty station?" Cami looked at him after he'd taken a bite of the burger.

"That's what we're told. I'll be on Archian State, just not sure which town I'll be in or if I stay in the city like now," Hiccup replied after swallowing his food.

"Oh, right. You're at Camp Drakonia," Cami nodded, remembering that Hiccup told her that before he left on the 3rd of August. "Where is the Infantry school located?"

"Same place, just a different location than we were in," Hiccup shrugged taking another bite, then Cami did the same with her chicken patty.

"Seems confusing," Adelaide mentioned.

"Only because you're an outsider looking in. Once you get there, everything becomes clear. Am I right, Hiccup?" Fishlegs asked. Hiccup nodded while chewing.

"All you gotta do is exactly what you're told," Hiccup stated. "And Gods help you if you screw up," he muttered.

"The military is a _no mistakes_ kind of place, isn't it?" Heather wondered.

"Absolutely. If you make a mistake, someone could get hurt or killed. Nobody wants that," Hiccup informed.

"That makes a lot of sense," Throk mentioned.

"So, babe?" Camicazi asked as he looked at her with a smile. "You think it might be okay if I spend the night?" The others blinked a bit. Cami wanted to spend the night at Hiccup's house? On a school night? Would her parents or grandparents even allow it?

"I don't mind, but remember it's a school night, so no staying up late. And you have to do your homework, Milady. As long as you abide by all that, it's cool with me. My dad doesn't care; just check with your grandparents," Hiccup told her. Camicazi smiled broadly and kissed him before getting out her phone to text her grandmother. About five minutes later, there was a reply.

"Gram said it was okay," Camicazi told him.

"Alright, we'll stop by their house after the bell and get you're your overnight things, then go on to my house," Hiccup nodded to her. Camicazi hugged him tightly as he chuckled and returned it. Yes, Camicazi was over the moon that Hiccup was home, and everyone could see it on her face. For Astrid, she was currently scolding herself about what happened earlier when Hiccup and her shook hands, the fact she blushed when he said she lived up to her name.

=Astrid's POV=

Oh, my Gods. I couldn't believe I got flustered and embarrassed in front of Hiccup! And Odin he more handsome in person than the photo that Cami showed us that first day she came to Berkian Dragon Academy. I got lost staring into Hiccup's green eyes, and when his hand touched mine, I got butterflies in my stomach. I didn't know what to think or how to feel, but I knew it was wrong because I felt immense guilt too. If I had take a guess; I was developing a crush on Hiccup Haddock, and that was bad about that because Hiccup was Camicazi's boyfriend of two years, and Cami just stated that I was her best friend. I was a horrible person. How could I form feelings for someone I just met, and he wasn't even single? I had to get over this; drop it, and let go. I wouldn't get between Hiccup and Cami. I couldn't.


	5. Chapter 5

**No Matter What**

Rated: M

Pairings: Hiccup X Astrid

Disclaimer; I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, but I do own the rights to my OC characters!

 **Chapter Five**

=Normal POV=

Hiccup loved being able to surprise his girlfriend at school. Of course, he had strict directions not to distract her from her education. Hiccup didn't plan on taking away from her learning, but he had missed her a lot. At the moment, Hiccup was sitting with Cami in the cafeteria of Berkian Dragon Academy while listening to the friends talk among one another. Hiccup had been staying quiet as he didn't really know these people, and he hadn't been able to speak with Camicazi to hear much about them. All he knew right now was that Astrid Hofferson was Camicazi's best friend, and seemed a bit shy. Hiccup had his mind on other things, like the fact he still had two more months of training to endure before being considered a _full_ marine of the Archian State Armed Forces.

"Babe?" Hiccup heard Camicazi call to him, though, he was still in his own world it seemed. "Hiccup!" she said louder as Hiccup snapped out of it.

"Hm? Sorry, babe. I zoned out," Hiccup admitted.

"I noticed," Camicazi giggled a little. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, a bit tired," Hiccup said with a smile.

"Why don't you go home and take a nap? We still have two hours of class after this," Heather suggested.

"Nah, I'm good. Thank you, though," Hiccup replied. "I'm trained to ignore sleep if need be," he added with a chuckle.

"Who would want to ignore sleep?" Snotlout asked.

"Someone on a patrol, guard, or mission?" Hiccup stated. "Speaking of events. Milady, would you do me the honor of accompanying me to the annual Marine?" he smiled at his girlfriend.

"Oh, I'd love to. And forgive my lack of knowledge, but what is it? Some kind of dance?" Camicazi inquired.

"Yes. Every year the base will hold the ball for the freshly graduated marines. Well, those just out of boot camp. Of course, it gets split up so there aren't too many in one place at once. My company is holding their's on Friday night at 6:30 pm. There is dinner, music, dancing; I heard it's a fun time. You can stay at my place when it ends at 10:30," Hiccup explained.

"How should I dress?" Camicazi wondered.

"Well, I have to be in this," Hiccup pulled out his phone and showed her a picture of him standing straight in black pants and shoes with a dark gray overcoat that sported a red belt and silver clip. Also, there were gold button and a lighter gray trim on the edges of the coat. On Hiccup's heat sat a white hat with a black visor.

"Holy Odin, Hiccup. You look…fantastic in that," Camicazi's eyes widened.

"Heh, thanks. Yep, the Dress Formal Alpha's are only worn for specific events, and the Marine Ball is one of them," Hiccup informed.

"So, what are you wearing right now?" Tuffnut questioned.

"Service Uniform B or Blast. The C or Cloud attire is the same thing minus the tie, clip, and undershirt. And the Alpha's of the Service Uniform has a green overcoat with gold buttons, gray button-down with a black tie, and the green hat too. I have another Formal Dress suit also, but that is expressly reserved for significant events such as meeting the president, funerals, and promotions. That one is black with white trim, silver buttons, gray belt, gold buckle, and dark gray hat," Hiccup stated.

"Wow, that's a lot to remember," Fishlegs blinked.

"Seems like a lot, but it's not. And our commanding officers will tell us which to where and when," Hiccup responded. "You spend the whole first four weeks learning about military law, code of conduct, radio communication, marching, etc,"

"I'm afraid to know what you do the rest of it," Snotlout mentioned.

"Well, the Marines are an Air, Land, and Sea force; we train for all those areas. Hence why it's three months of boot camp, then two more for the job you choose at the entrance station before you swear in," Hiccup enlightened.

"And you're doing what again? Infantry Rifleman?" Ruffnut asked, and Hiccup nodded. "So, what does that let you do?"

"As we are told; The riflemen employ the M16A4 service rifle, the M4 carbine, the M203 grenade launcher, M249 squad automatic weapon (SAW), as well as the M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle and the AT4 and LAW or Light Anti-Armor Weapon rockets. Riflemen are the primary scouts, assault troops, and close combat forces available to the MAGTF or Marines Air-Ground Task Force. They are the foundation of the Marine infantry organization, and as such is the nucleus of the fire team in the rifle squad, the scout team in the LAR or Light Armored Reconnaissance squad, scout snipers in the infantry battalion, and reconnaissance or assault team in the reconnaissance units. Noncommissioned officers are assigned as fire team leaders, scout team leaders, rifle squad leaders, or rifle platoon guides. The mission of the Marine Corps rifle squad is to locate, close with and destroy the enemy by fire and maneuver or to repel the enemy's assault by fire and close combat," Hiccup informed. **(A/N; That is right from the Wikipedia for 0311-Infantry Rifleman in the US Marines!)**

"In short, you're on the front lines?" Astrid asked.

"Correct," Hiccup nodded.

"So, the ball is this Friday?" Camicazi questioned.

"You got it, Milady," Hiccup smiled.

"Will I get to meet all the people you've been training with?" Cami wondered.

"Abso-," Hiccup started as his phone started ringing. "Hold that thought," he told her as she nodded, then he put the phone to his ear, "Haddock here," a second later, he pulled it away and put it on speakerphone. "Damn it, Thug! Did you have to yell? My ears are still ringing from bombs at graduation, and that was yesterday at 1100,"

" _Oops. Sorry, Hic. It sounds loud on your side; I didn't know if you could hear me alright,"_ the person known as _Thug_ , replied.

"Uh huh. So, did you have a reason for calling, Thuggory?" Hiccup asked.

" _Can't I just call and say hello to my best friend?"_ Thuggory questioned.

"Let me tell you why that's bullshit," Hiccup began.

" _Okay! You know anyone who might want to go to the ball with me?"_ Thuggory wondered.

"What do I look like? The female companion directory?" Hiccup remarked.

" _Oh, come on. You know tons of girls at that old school of yours. Hook a brother up, help your teammate,"_ Thuggory pleaded.

"You're a pain in my ass is what you are. You, Eret, and Cody," Hiccup rolled his eyes.

" _But we love you, so PLEASE?"_ Thuggory begged now.

"Hang on, babe. Astrid? Wanna double date to the Marine Ball?" Camicazi asked her friend. Astrid's eyes widened a bit.

"U-Um, don't you have to be a Marine to go?" Astrid questioned.

"Yeah, but Hiccup's friend doesn't have a date to go. You said you needed something to do this Friday anyway, so come on. Please?" Camicazi smiled broadly.

"I-I don't even know the guy," Astrid countered.

"Thuggory is a good man, bit of a nervous goofball at first. You're safe with him, and if he hurts you; I give my word to kick his ass," Hiccup smiled at her. Thuggory could be heard gulping on the speaker. "I promise you'll have a good time, Astrid. Marine's Honor,"

"Please, Astrid. It's my first time going to something like this, and I need you so I don't make a fool of myself in front of Hiccup and all his buddies," Camicazi pleaded while next to Astrid.

Astrid sighed. "Alright, I'll go. However, I want to meet him before the ball starts,"

"I think we can manage that. Hear that, Thug? My girlfriend got you a date. Her name is Astrid, and if you hurt her remember that I have not only have an expert shooter level with a variety of guns, but a Night Fury too," Hiccup stated. "I can make your beating look like a mugging,"

" _Copy that! You're the best, Hiccup! Thank you, Camicazi! And Astrid, I promise you won't regret this! I-I, uh, can't wait to meet you,"_ Thuggory called.

"Likewise, Thuggory. I look forward to it," Astrid replied to him.

"You're welcome!" Camicazi beamed. The bell rang overhead as lunch was over.

"Alright, Thug. I'll text you later," Hiccup said as he got up.

" _I'll be here. Talk to you later, Haddock,"_ Thuggory responded.

"Bye, Hedsen," Hiccup shook his head, then ended the call before placing his mobile back in his pocket. "You agreeing has made his day," he mentioned to Astrid.

"When should I be ready?" Astrid looked at him.

"Well, I believe the event is being held at Arc Plaza Hotel, and starts at 6:30 pm. Uh, you want to meet us with your dragon for 6? Gives you time to meet Thuggory, and do any last minute getting ready things?" Hiccup suggested.

"I can't fly on my own," Astrid admitted.

"Oh, right. You don't have your licenses until end of this year. Cami and I will swing by around 5 pm-ish, and you then you can fly with me since I'm fully licensed," Hiccup offered. "The hotel is only an hour or so flight away,"

"Yeah, that sounds okay. Cami can give you my address," Astrid enlightened.

"Perfect," Hiccup nodded. "Cami, come on. You don't want to be late for Dragon Training," he called to his girlfriend. Camicazi strolled up to his side, then the two walked hand in hand out of the cafeteria. Astrid sighed a bit. Well, she had wanted to lose her feelings for Hiccup, so maybe this essential blind date might not be a bad thing. Thuggory sounded like a sweet man, and he told her she wouldn't regret it. Astrid made her way outside for the final course of the day. In four days, she was going to the Marine Ball with Thuggory, Cami, and Hiccup. Astrid prayed that the Gods were with her on Friday night.

 _{Friday, November 20, 2009-Arc Plaza Hotel-6:05 pm}_

The rest of the week leading up to Friday had been smooth. On Monday, the friends finished Dragon Training, and then Hiccup left with Camicazi on Toothless, Hiccup's Night Fury. Mimic was flying beside them, and the next morning, Hiccup dropped Camicazi and Mimic off at school before he left and promised to see her later on. Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday were standard. However, now it was Friday evening. Hiccup and Cami arrived to pick up Astrid at 4:30 pm, and then the three of them flew to the city where the hotel was located. The first thing they did upon landing was get inside the hotel, and use the bathrooms to change into their ball attire. Now, it was past 6 pm and the event began in twenty minutes. Hiccup was finished first, standing in place to wait for the girls when a male came up next to him.

"Hey, Thug," Hiccup smiled seeing his friend in the uniform. "The girls should be right out,"

"No worries. I really appreciate this, man. I didn't want to miss the ball," Thuggory mentioned.

"Thank Cami, she's the one who asked her friend to come. Not more than two minutes later, Camicazi walked out with Astrid beside her and approached Hiccup and Thuggory. Camicazi was wearing a knee-length sleeveless black dress that hugged her curves; the strap went around the back of her neck, and then there was a red flower on the right side just above the breast. Cami wore black heels on her feet, and then the final piece was a thick red belt with silver clips in front. Camicazi's hair had a fishtail braid on the left that moved around back into a ponytail with the rest of her long blond hair. Astrid wore a long black spaghetti strap dress that reached to her ankles with silver strap heels, and a long, red, tie around the waist with the pieces flowing down the front left of her leg. Astrid's hair was pulled back into a french braid for the top and then as it came to the back of her head, it turned into a typical braid that hung over her left shoulder.

"We hope this is okay?" Camicazi asked. Hiccup pulled her over to him by her hand, then kissed her lightly.

"It's perfect," Hiccup replied as Camicazi blushed. Hiccup could see that she was wearing lip gloss, black eyeliner, and gray eyeshadow. Astrid had eyeliner, and a shimmering silver eyeshadow. "Astrid, I'd like for you to meet my best friend, Thuggory Hedsen. Thug, this is Astrid Hofferson," Hiccup introduced the two.

"An honor to make your acquaintance, Miss. Hofferson," Thuggory offered a light bow with his hand out.

"The pleasure is all mine," Astrid responded as she placed her hand in his, and Thuggory kissed the back of it. Astrid smiled as Thuggory let her go, then put his arm out, and Astrid linked her arm to his.

"Well, I think we should get inside," Camicazi suggested.

"Quite right, Milady," Hiccup nodded in agreement as he led Cami inside the room, and then Thuggory and Astrid followed behind. The group of four found their table, and took a seat to watch others talking or just arriving. At 6:30 pm, the lights dimmed and the music kicked on as everyone figured out that the Marine Ball had just begun.


	6. Chapter 6

**No Matter What**

Rated: M

Pairings: Hiccup X Astrid

Disclaimer; I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, but I do own the rights to my OC characters!

 **Chapter Six**

=Astrid's POV=

Well, I had to admit that I was kind of glad Camicazi asked me to come to the Marine Ball with her as Hiccup's friend's date. Everything was set up so beautifully. The music was a mash-up between slow and fast, then there were some meant for large groups to do together. I had only been here fifteen minutes, and as of right now, I wasn't regretting my choice. Thuggory was nervous, and shy, but it seemed to be fading as the night continued through. I hadn't been sure what to wear for this occasion, and at the start of the afternoon once I got home from school, I contemplated not coming. Cami is the one to suggest wearing a black dress with red or gray since that is what the Marine's formal attire consisted of. At first, I couldn't find anything in my wardrobe matching those colors, and then my mom gave me the idea to wear the bridesmaid dress I used when my cousin got married last year. Thank the Gods that mom thought of it, because it was a perfect mix of what Cami told me would be good.

I wore very little makeup, and my mom did my hair for me before Hiccup and Cami came to pick me up. I rode on Stormfly beside them, and kept the dress in the bag while flying. It looked like Cami and Hiccup had the same idea because no one wanted to fly in something fancy. Upon meeting Thuggory, I could say he was handsome. Thuggory had chocolate brown hair with blue-gray eyes. The man stood at five feet and nine inches, looking to weigh somewhere between one forty-five and one fifty pounds. Thuggory and talked a bit after sitting down because Hiccup took Cami to meet some of his friends; I learned that Thuggory had a Monstrous Nightmare, male, named Killer who was black and gray with red eyes. Also, that Thuggory was eighteen, turning nineteen in June 2010. I told him about Stormfly, and that I'd been eighteen in March 2010, on the 15th.

"So what made you join the Marines?" I asked him.

"Well, I'm not really sure. I wanted to do something amazing with my life, and one day, I just decided that what could be better than joining the military and protecting my home," Thuggory responded.

"I have to agree, nothing is better than knowing the people you care about are safe, and that you're the one helping to make it happen," I smiled now.

"What about you? What do you want to do after High School?" Thuggory questioned.

"I was hoping to go to Dragon Racing; I'm on the school team right now. I actually missed tonight's practice, they run from 2:30 to 5:30 pm," I replied gently.

"I'm sorry I took you away from it," Thuggory apologized.

"Oh, no, no. It's alright. You have to let loose and have fun sometimes right? It can't be all work," I put my hand on his arm.

"Tell the military that," Thuggory joked a bit.

"Seems like they know how to have fun," I motioned around the room.

"Yeah, but this is only one night after boot camp, and just for the graduating Marines of said three-month training," Thuggory laughed a bit.

"Aw, come on. I've watched videos online about all sorts of military personnel making the best out of their situations. For me; I have school from 7:30 to 2:15 Monday through Friday. And then I have racing practice Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, but I also have work Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. Sunday is my only free day, and I spend it trying to let my body recover," Astrid explained.

"What do you do for your job?" Thuggory inquired.

"I waitress at the Berkville Café, usually from 4 to 10 pm," I informed as I looked at the dance floor to see Hiccup and Camicazi dancing to the music. Thuggory was a sweetheart, and I liked talking to and spending time with him. Oddly enough, I hadn't thought about Hiccup a lot since being in Thuggory's presence.

"I, uh, don't suppose you want to dance, do you?" Thuggory asked as I looked back at him to see him offering his hand. I smiled and placed my hand in it.

"I'd love to," I said as Thuggory pulled me up from my seat, then we walked to the open area, and began dancing to a slow song that came on.

=Normal POV=

The ball was definitely a fun time. After starting at 6:30 pm, most everyone arrived by 6:45 at the latest. Astrid enjoyed dancing with Thuggory through the slow song, then a faster one afterward. Thuggory led Astrid back to the table where Hiccup and Camicazi were, but also four newcomers.

"Oh, good, you're back. I was just about to introduce Cami to the rest of the team," Hiccup told Thuggory, who pulled Astrid's chair out for her to sit down. Once she was pushed in, Thuggory sat beside her. "This is Eret Erikson with his girlfriend Dahlia and Cody Grayson and his girl, Kirsten," he said while motioning to the people he named.

"Babe, this Hiccup Haddock, and his girlfriend, Camicazi," Cody introduced.

"And this guy over here is Thuggory Hedsen," Eret informed.

"It's lovely to meet you both," Dahlia stated with a smile.

"You as well. This is my date, Astrid," Thuggory motioned to Astrid now.

"How long have you two been together?" Kirsten wondered now.

"O-Oh, no. Thuggory and I aren't…dating. I, uh, I'm Cami's best friend and she wanted me to come with her tonight so Hiccup arranged for Thuggory to be my date," Astrid explained softly.

"Yeah, I had someone, but then we had a falling out and haven't spoken in two weeks. I called Hiccup to tell him I wouldn't be going, and then he found me Astrid. Well, more like Camicazi begged Astrid to come, and I'm thankful she agreed. I quite enjoy her company," Thuggory continued as Astrid smiled at him.

"Hey, as long as everyone is having fun then it doesn't matter how we all got here," Hiccup stated. After that, everyone was talking about life, training, the past, how they met their lover, what kind of dragon they had if one was owned, then how the bonding happened. Dinner was served at 7:15. The meal was spaghetti and meatballs with garlic bread; there was a choice to have sauce on or off of the dish. At 7:50, everyone had just about finished their meal, and have moved back to the floor to keep dancing, or stayed at their tables to talk. The Strike Team, as Astrid, Cami, Dahlia, and Kirsten learned was named by Thuggory, Hiccup, Eret, and Cody, all ended up on the dance floor doing the Cotton-Eyed Joe, then Cupid Shuffle, and lastly before having to sit down for a break was the Macarena.

By the time they reached their table, cake pieces had been brought to each of their places. The group enjoyed that, and watched others dance to the music. Astrid loved it, and she did not regret her choice to come as Thuggory's date one bit, and she had fun as Hiccup promised she would. At 10:15 pm, though, Camicazi and Astrid were exhausted, so Thuggory and Hiccup decided it was best to get them home. Standing outside the hotel and saddling their dragons, Thuggory made his way towards Astrid.

"Would you like me to fly you home, Astrid?" Thuggory asked. "You mentioned living in Berkville, I live one town over in Meatsfield," Camicazi motioned for her to say yes because she'd get more time with him.

"Um, sure. That'd be great, thank you," Astrid replied to him as she pulled herself up on Stormfly, then Thuggory got on Killer. "Bye Hiccup. See you in school on Monday, Cami,"

"Bye, Astrid!" Camicazi said happily.

"Have a good night," Hiccup waved as Stormfly and Killer took to the sky.

"Think anything will develop out of tonight for them?" Camicazi wondered as Hiccup got on Toothless.

"Who knows. You find love in the strangest places and at the most unexpected times. I can't say they love one another, but Thug was into her," Hiccup shrugged as he pulled Cami up behind him, and then she held tightly around his waist.

"Astrid looked like she was enjoying her time with him. Either way, it'd be nice to see her with someone. From what the others have mentioned; she's never had a boyfriend," Camicazi stated.

"It'll happen one day. It's best not to rush these kinds of things. Come on, we should be getting to my house. I am still seventeen, and so are you. Unfortunately, I still have a curfew to abide by. Training didn't count because that was a military base and the commanding officers had us all accounted for," Hiccup said. Camicazi nodded as Toothless took to the sky and headed for Stoick and Hiccup's house in Berkville.

 _{11:00 pm-Hofferson Residence}_

Thuggory and Astrid picked up speed with their dragons to make it home in time, not that it mattered because Thuggory was an adult, and as long as Astrid was flying with an adult then she couldn't get in trouble for being out past curfew or riding her dragon. Touching down on the ground, Thuggory got off Killer, then helped Astrid as he walked her to the front door of her home. Standing on the porch, they faced one another.

"Thank you for agreeing to come tonight, Astrid. I had a lot of fun," Thuggory said.

"Well, thank you for needing a date then or I wouldn't have been able to. You kept your word; I certainly did not regret my choice, Thuggory. I had a great time," Astrid giggled a bit as Thuggory laughed. "I should get inside,"

"Oh, um, before you do; I-I was wondering if maybe you'd like to stay in contact? Perhaps we could hook up-Hang out. Hang out is what I meant to say!" Thuggory corrected himself quickly. "And I've screwed this up," he sighed.

Astrid smiled seeing him look down. Astrid got a pen and small piece of paper out of her purse, she wrote her number down and put it in his hand with her own. "I'd really like it if we could hang out again, Thuggory," Astrid said.

"Re-Really?" Thuggory asked as Astrid nodded. "Gr-Great! I'll, uh, I'll message you when I get home, that way you can have my number?"

"I'll be waiting," Astrid replied. Thuggory smiled, and she returned it. After that, Thuggory leaned in and kissed her cheek before stepping back to see her shocked and blushing face.

"Have a good night, Astrid," Thuggory said.

Recovering from her shock, Astrid nodded to him while putting her hand on the handle to enter her house. "With what you just did, my night is perfect now," Astrid winked as she walked in her home, then shut the door. Astrid watched from the window as Thuggory threw his fist in the air, cheering that she didn't slap him for kissing her cheek. Astrid had been surprised, but didn't mind. Astrid didn't know if anything would spark between them into more than what they were now, which was friends. However, she wasn't going to stop it if something did start. Thuggory got on Killer, and left as Astrid went to her room to put away the dress, purse, and shoes, then she undid her hair before laying in bed and thinking about everything from tonight. Astrid meant what she said, it was perfect.

Around 11:30 pm, just twenty minutes after Thuggory left, Astrid's cell phone vibrated on the nightstand. Astrid reached over and grabbed it, she smiled seeing a text from a number not in her contacts. The message read;

 **[Hi, Astrid! It's Thuggory. I'm sure you're probably tired, I know I am. I just wanted to let you know that tonight was terrific, and one I will never forget.]**

Astrid giggled a little before typing out her reply.

[Neither will I. Rest well, Thuggory. I know I will.]

Astrid pressed send, then added his number to a new contact, labeling it as; **Thuggory H's Cell**. Afterward, she turned the phone screen over as she got comfortable in bed. Astrid smiled as she let sleep take her away for the remainder of the evening.


	7. Chapter 7

**No Matter What**

Rated: M

Pairings: Hiccup X Astrid

Disclaimer; I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, but I do own the rights to my OC characters!

 **Chapter Seven**

=Astrid's POV=

 _{November 24_ _, 2009-Tuesday}_

Well, it's two days before Thanksgiving, and everything in my life was going splendidly. Today was the last day of school until next Monday; we were getting a full week off. A lot of families did Thanksgiving the day before, of, or after depending on factors regarding one's life. In my family, we celebrated with my mom's side, then dad's. Every year, it switched off. This time, it was dad's family on the 26th, and mom's on the 25th. I wasn't sure what all my friends were doing, but I'm sure we would text about it. I knew that Camicazi was doing Thanksgiving with her family on the 26th, but I'm confident she is celebrating with Hiccup, Gobber, and Stoick tonight on the 24th, since Hiccup had to leave for his infantry training on Wednesday. My feelings for Hiccup were still up in the air for all intensive purposes; I knew I felt something for him, I just didn't know how deep it ran. I'm also sure that I'm holding back because I know he's with Camicazi, and no matter how much I might like him, I wouldn't get between them.

I have only physically known Hiccup since the 16th of this month, but I've known about him since the end of August when Camicazi started at BDA. I doubted that I would ever get to pursue my feelings for Hiccup; it seemed like he and Cami had a healthy relationship, and nothing would tear them apart. I know I wouldn't even try, and that's why on the 21st of November, which was Saturday, I accepted Thuggory's offer of going out to dinner. Sure, it was the day after we met, but what was it going to hurt? I felt a little something for Thuggory, and I could tell he returned that feeling since he was asking me to supper; a real date. Everything went wonderfully, and we talked a lot. Thuggory paid for the meal, but I insisted on leaving a tip because I was not the type of girl to be pampered by a man. Thuggory laughed a bit, and said he could respect that. After dinner, Thuggory drove me home and went to kiss my cheek while I was getting my keys. However, I turned to say goodnight to him, and his lips pressed to mine in a light, short kiss.

I blushed like an idiot afterward as he kept apologizing. I told him it was okay, just an accident, and not to worry. Thuggory bid me a pleasant evening with a smile, then he left after I was in my house safely. My heart had been beating rapidly, and I went right to my room to scream into my pillow; not because it was terrible, but more excitement than anything else. Thuggory and I have been talking a lot, and asked me if I would join him tonight. I didn't see why not; it's not like I had anything going on. Initially, I had told him I had to ask my parents if it was okay, but I knew they wouldn't mind. For Odin's sake, they were thrilled that I had taken an interest in someone. At the moment, I was at lunch with my friends and looking down at the text message from Thuggory.

 _[Hope your day is going well. I was wondering if you wanted to go out to dinner with me tonight? -Thug]_

[Let me check with my parents first ^.^ -Asty]

 _{Alrighty, just let me know. -Thug]_

I never replied since it was time to start gym class, and now in lunch I felt like I should answer him.

"Astrid? Are you okay? You've been quiet all day," Heather asked.

"Hm? Oh, I'm fine," I said. I hadn't told anyone about Thuggory and I talking or that we went on a date three days ago. I didn't want to get their hopes up about me possibly getting a boyfriend. I had my hesitation about being in a relationship with a military man, and I'd talked to Camicazi about it on Sunday. I felt a little better after the conversation, but still, there was no saying that Thuggory and I were at that stage yet; to start dating after only what would be one or two dates.

"Uh, Cami? Isn't that Hiccup at the office?" Fishlegs pointed to the cafeteria doors, which showed the central office across the way and Hiccup standing at the sign-in window. Camicazi blinked a few times as Hiccup turned and headed right inside the lunchroom, then over to her.

"Hiccup? What are you doing here, babe?" Camicazi asked as Hiccup reached her, and pulled her up into his arms for a hug, then a small kiss.

"Do I need a reason to come see you?" Hiccup inquired.

"Well, I suppose not, but still. You look far too happy for just a visit," Camicazi pointed out.

"Huh, you do know me. Okay, yes. I came with a reason," Hiccup smiled. "Besides wanting to see you," he added.

Cami chuckled a bit. "Alright, tell me what has you so happy then?"

"My commanding officers realized that the day they want us reporting to Camp Drakonia is Thanksgiving, so they've extended our time to 30th!" Hiccup informed her as Cami's eyes widened with shock, but lit up with joy.

"Really?! You mean it?" Camicazi asked.

"Yes! I don't have to report to the base until next Monday!" Hiccup lifted her up and twirled her around before setting her on the ground. Camicazi hugged him tightly.

"Oh that's terrific news, Hiccup. We'll still celebrate tonight though, since your dad has been working on it," Camicazi replied. "So, since you're here, want to eat with us?"

"I might as well," Hiccup shrugged as Camicazi led him to the hot lunch line to get something. I smiled, this meant Thuggory was home until then too. I wondered if he would tell me about? It didn't matter either way, but I decided that why shouldn't I go out with him? Thuggory was kind, caring, a little shy at times, but a good man overall. I brought up the messages with Thuggory then began typing something to him.

[My parents said it was okay, so yes, I will join you for dinner. Where are we going? And what time should I be ready? -Asty]

After pressing send, I started eating the rest of my sandwich when Hiccup and Camicazi returned to the table. I set my phone on the table while smiling, and then I got a reply from Thuggory. However, Camicazi happened to look over and see the name, then she smiled broadly.

"Did he ask you out to dinner again?" Camicazi asked, and I nodded to her. "He's so into you,"

"Yeah, yeah. Now hush, I don't want everyone knowing," I told her as she nodded and started eating her food. I checked my phone to see the message.

 _[That's great. Uh, how about Berkies? I know it's not fancy, but it works. Want me to pick you up around 6:30? -Thug]_

[Fancy is overrated. 6:30 is okay, I'll be ready. See you tonight. -Asty]

 _[Can't wait. -Thug]_

After that, I put my phone away as Cami was grinning at me. I shoved her a little with a smile and she went back to eating. Alright, so another date with Thuggory; I'm sure it would go great.

=Normal POV=

 _{6:45 pm-Haddock Household}_

When school was over, Hiccup was at BDA waiting for Camicazi. The two left on their dragons, and reached his father's house. Gobber, and Stoick were there working on the meal for the evening when Hiccup and Cami arrived at 2:25 pm. Most of the time until 5 pm was talking about how things were going, and then the four of them had dinner. Hiccup and Camicazi cleaned it all up, and did dishes. Around 6:05 pm, the small group broke out the pies and desserts to enjoy. However, with all that in their stomachs, and another round of cleaning up; everyone was ready to relax.

"Will you be spending the night, Cami?" Gobber asked.

"Yeah," Camicazi nodded with a yawn.

"Why don't you take her to get some rest, son?" Stoick suggested. Hiccup nodded as he helped Camicazi to her feet, then led her to his bedroom. Hiccup closed the door, and locked.

"You know they're just gonna have sex, right?" Gobber looked to his friend.

"Yep, and that's fine with me. The first time they ever did it, Hiccup was honest, and he made sure to have protection as did Cami. My boy is almost eighteen, Gobber; a man if you would. You and I both know how hard hormones rage in a teenager, so I don't mind. I trust him," Stoick said.

 _{Berkies}_

Thuggory and Astrid arrived at 6:20 pm, then made their way inside. The two stood before the counter while looking at the menu. Thuggory wore black jeans, a blue and white flannel long-sleeve button-down under his A.S. Marines sweatshirt, then there were white sneakers. Astrid sported dark blue tank top with a gray and white cardigan over it Also, Astrid wore black leggings, and brown knee-high boots with her hair down, some of her bangs falling over the left eye.

"Hi. Are we dining in or our this evening?" asked the cashier; her tag read the name, Sylvana, on it.

"In, please," Thuggory replied.

"What can I get for you?" Sylvana questioned.

"Ladies first," Thuggory smiled.

"Uh. Wow, I haven't been here in a long time. Um, I'll do the Grilled Chicken combo, please. Light on the sauce, and no tomato," Astrid placed her order.

"Would you like small, medium, or large?" Sylvana smiled while tapping the screen.

"Medium, please," Astrid informed as Sylvana handed her the cup.

"And for you, sir?" Sylvana inquired.

"I think I'll do medium number two combo, no onions on the burger," Thuggory said.

"Sure thing. Will that be all for you?" Sylvana looked at them.

"That will do it for now," Thuggory told her.

"Alright, your total is $14.58 this evening," Sylvana stated as Thuggory handed the cashier a $20, then she punched it in the register. The drawer popped open while she collected the change, then closed it and got the receipt. "Your change is $5.42, and it will be right up,"

"Thank you," Astrid waited for Thuggory to put away his money, then he got his cup while they went to get their drinks and pick a table. Three minutes later, their order number was called as Thuggory went to get the tray with their food. Thuggory noticed Astrid shivering a bit.

"Are you cold?" Thuggory asked.

"A little. It's drafty in here," Astrid rubbed her arms. Thuggory put the tray down as he took off his sweatshirt and handed it to her. "Oh, no, no. I'm alright," she protested.

"Come on, I'm not going to let my girlfriend be cold," Thuggory chuckled a bit as Astrid blushed.

"G-Girlfriend?" Astrid asked.

"Well, you are a girl and you are my friend, aren't you?" Thuggory retorted gently. Astrid was going to counter the statement, but found that it wasn't untrue. "I have another sweater in the truck, Astrid. You take this one, at least until I get you back home?" Astrid figured he wasn't going to let it go, so she smiled and placed the sweater over her head, the pulled it down and fixed her hair.

"Thank you," Astrid told him.

"You're welcome," Thuggory said while sitting down as they separated the food to where it belonged, then they began eating, and talking in between. After fifteen minutes with that, Thuggory got them ice cream; Astrid had strawberry, and Thuggory got a chocolate one. When it reached half an hour that they'd been there, the two left and Thuggory drove Astrid home. Walking to the porch, they faced one another.

"What are your plans for Thanksgiving?" Astrid asked him.

"Parents and I are going to my aunt's place with the rest of the family on mom's side. How about you?" Thuggory answered.

"Mom's side tomorrow, and dad's side on the day of," Astrid enlightened.

"Will I still be able to text you?" Thuggory wondered.

"Of course. I might not answer during the main meal, but other than that, yeah, I can still talk," Astrid nodded with a smile. "Thank you for another wonderful evening,"

"You're welcome, and hold on to the sweater. It looks good on you. Um, before we say goodnight, there's something I want to tell you," Thuggory told her.

"Tell me then," Astrid invited.

"I really like you, Astrid," Thuggory admitted, which took Astrid by a little surprise. "I know it might seem a bit rushed, but I'd…like to be with you; as more than friends. If you'll have me?"

"A-Are you asking me to be your girlfriend? Well, in the romantic sense where we're in a relationship?" Astrid asked him.

"I am," Thuggory looked into her eyes. Astrid did like him, even if there were still some feeling for Hiccup lingering inside her. Perhaps if she opened her heart to Thuggory, she would forget about Hiccup? Thuggory was a good man, and there was no reason for them not to be together since their feelings for one another were mutual. Astrid smiled as she put her hand on his, then made it so their fingers intertwined.

"I'd be honored to be your girlfriend, Thuggory," Astrid replied.

"And you've officially made me a thrilled man tonight," Thuggory smiled at her as she laughed a little. The two looked at one another, then Thuggory leaned in and kissed her lightly. Astrid's eyes closed as she kissed him back. Afterward, they stepped apart. "I'll text you when I get home,"

"I'll be waiting. Drive safely, Thuggory. Goodnight," Astrid nodded.

"Night, Astrid," Thuggory said as he walked down the porch, and back to his truck. A minute later, he was gone. Astrid went to her room and squealed happily; she had a boyfriend, and it felt fantastic. Although, on the 30th, she knew she might not hear from him as he'd be away training as Hiccup would be too. Astrid didn't care; everything would be okay; she was far too happy to worry about anything else.


	8. Chapter 8

**No Matter What**

Rated: M

Pairings: Hiccup X Astrid

Disclaimer; I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, but I do own the rights to my OC characters!

 **Chapter Eight**

=Normal POV=

 _{November 30_ _,_ _2009-Monday-8:45 am}_

Today was the day that Hiccup was returning to Arc City to complete his Marine training, and Thuggory too. Astrid and Thuggory had been talking as much as they could because Thuggory admitted to Astrid that he wasn't sure how much cell phone use he'd be able to get over the next two months. Astrid was alright with it, she was happy to have a boyfriend. With it being the 30th, the school was back in session. The next break was over Christmas from the 19th to the 27th of December, and that included the weekends too. However, they would get off Thursday the 31st and then 1st, 2nd, and 3rd of January 2010 because of the New Year. After all that, the next school vacation was in February, and one in April too. The February break was known as _Winter Recess_ , and lasted from the 15th to the 19th, and would return to classes on the 22nd. April vacation was called _Spring Break_ , and held from the dates April 19th to the 23rd while returning after the weekend on April 26th. At the moment, Astrid and Camicazi were in their Choir class.

As soon as Astrid saw her friends this morning, they were all over her about having a boyfriend, and being with Thuggory. Astrid and Thuggory decided to make it known that they were dating by changing their relationship statuses on their social media pages. The site allowed the user to say they were in a relationship, and with whom if that other person had an account with the website as well. So Astrid's said she was with Thuggory Hedsen, and Thuggory's stated he was with Astrid Hofferson; both in a relationship as of November 24th, 2009. Astrid noted to her friends that she and Thuggory hit off well the night of the Marine Ball, and went on a couple of dates before Thuggory asked her out, and she said yes. The friends were happy for her overall; mainly Cami because now she wasn't the only one in the school with a military boyfriend. Astrid got a laugh out of that, and so did Thuggory when Astrid messaged him about it.

"Alright, today we're going to be working on-," the instructor was cut short by the door opening to reveal Mr. Ogglebert walking in. "Good morning, Headmaster," she said.

"Good morning, Miss. Svenson. I'm just dropping these four off, they have my permission to stay until the end of class," Alvin smiled as he stepped aside to let in Hiccup, and Thuggory, then Eret and Cody.

"Yes, sir," Miss. Svenson, the choir teacher replied.

"Hiccup!" Camicazi got up from her seat and hugged him tightly.

"Hello, Milady," Hiccup greeted while returning the hug. Thuggory moved closer to Astrid, then she rose to give him a light hug and kiss.

"What are you guys doing here? I thought you were leaving for training?" Astrid asked afterward.

"Well, we don't have to report until 11 am as it turns out, so we thought we'd come here to see you two before we leave," Thuggory explained.

"I'll take it," Camicazi giggled. "Why did Eret and Cody come?"

"We're all flying to the base together, so they decided to come with." Hiccup informed.

"And you can be here as long as you don't interrupt the class," Alvin reminded.

"Yes, Uncle Al," Hiccup replied. Alvin nodded as he left the room, then the boys found an empty spot to sit while Astrid and Camicazi returned to their seats. The rest of the class continued calmly with the students listening to different genres of music; after a song played, the students had to tell the teacher what they felt were the emotions of the artist, and the message given from the lyrics. Basically, what did it mean to them, and if they possibly connected to it at all from past experiences. As 9:30 am was nearing, Miss. Svenson told the students that they could relax for the remaining time until the bell rang.

Camicazi was sitting on Hiccup's lap while Astrid sat next to Thuggory and everyone was talking among themselves. "So what happens at infantry school?" Throk wondered.

"Training for two months," Eret said.

"But, specifically?" Tuffnut asked.

"Combat Hunter Course, Marine Corps Land Navigation, Marine Corps Martial Arts Program, Marine Corps Physical Fitness, Foot Patrol, and Combat Marksmanship." Hiccup informed.

"And they do all that in sixty days?" Heather inquired.

"Well, it's fifty-nine, technically. The sixtieth day is graduation, and permanent duty stations," Thuggory corrected.

"Do you know where you'll be going?" Ruffnut wondered.

The four Marines shook their heads in response. "No, we don't get to know that until we're done. See, when a particular amount joins the Marines, that large group will all ship for Receiving Week at the same time, and then onto Boot Camp. Now, depending on what that recruit chose as their military job at the military entrance processing station; it will determine where they go after the thirteen weeks ends. For anyone NOT doing Infantry, they will move on to Marine Combat Training, which is only a month long, then they separate from training for their MOS or Military Occupational Specialty," Cody explained.

"That's right. Infantry finishes their training after SOI, or School of Infantry. After this, we move with the rest of the Infantry Battalion who trained with us to our PDS or Permanent Duty Station," Thuggory informed.

"And it's not actually permanent; we can be relocated," Hiccup stated.

"Seems annoying," Snotlout mentioned.

"It can be, but it's part of the job, so we just do as we're told," Eret shrugged. During all this, Astrid was thinking about her conversation with Cami about dating a military man; it had helped her make the decision in if she should date Thuggory if he asked. As such, Thuggory and Astrid had been together since the 24th, just six days ago now.

 **~Flashback; November 22, 2009~**

 _Astrid sat on her bed while holding her phone after Thuggory had just messaged her saying that he had a fantastic time at the ball, and then their date on Saturday. The whole situation had ber nervous, and she didn't know who to talk to about. Ruffnut and Heather would tell her to entirely go for it. Fishlegs would say to her to take more time. Throk might suggest the same as Fishlegs, to take things slow, and go with what felt right. Snotlout and Tuffnut wouldn't care; instead, Snotlout would say to hook up with himself since he'd been pining after her since the eighth grade. Astrid did like Thuggory; he was kind, caring, gentle, understanding, and a Marine. However, he was a man in the military, and that's what worried her. Astrid couldn't turn to her friends, but perhaps Cami could shed some light on the situation._

 _Astrid called Camicazi with high hopes she would answer. "Hello?" came a greeting on the fourth ring._

" _Hey, Cami, it's Astrid," Astrid said._

" _Hey, girl. What's up?" Camicazi asked._

" _I have a confession to make, and I need advice…" Astrid admitted._

" _Oh, boy. Alright, lay it on me," Cami invited._

" _I, uh, went on a date yesterday…with Thuggory," Astrid informed. Instantly, Cami screamed with delight._

" _Oh, my Gods! You did?! What did you do? Where did you go? Did you enjoy yourself?" Camicazi listed off._

" _Yes. Only out to dinner at Berkville's Fine Food & Drink, and yeah, I did enjoy it. That's my problem, Cami. I like him, a lot too. I just don't know what to do. He kissed me after taking me home," Astrid exclaimed._

" _He KISSED you? What do you mean you don't know what to do? If you like him, and he obviously feels the same then go for it. Be with him!" Camicazi urged._

" _What's going on?" Astrid heard Hiccup ask._

" _Thuggory asked Astrid out on a date last night to dinner, and he kissed her!" Camicazi revealed. Astrid smacked her forehead, great, now Hiccup knew._

" _It was an ACCIDENTAL kiss, and partially my fault. I was unlocking the door to my house, and Thuggory had leaned in to kiss my cheek. I turned, and it happened," Astrid explained quickly._

" _Astrid, be with him," Camicazi said happily._

" _I'm nervous to be, and he hasn't asked me to be his girlfriend," Astrid sighed._

" _Why are you nervous?" Camicazi inquired._

" _Because…he's in the military, and that is a worrisome lifestyle to be a part of. For example, when you came to BDA, Hiccup was away training, and up until a few days ago, you hadn't heard from him in three months. I know that can get worse if Thuggory deploys or something," Astrid enlightened._

" _You can't be afraid to take a chance, Astrid. I know it's nervewracking to wonder if he'd be alright. Trust me, I get the same way with Hiccup, and I dread the day I learn he's deploying. However, I know that he's out there keeping the people he cares about safe, and no matter what; he'll come home. I know it's hard to consider that; returning home alive or dead, but you gotta know he went out there and gave it his all for the people he loves," Camicazi remarked lightly._

" _I suppose you're right, but still. I couldn't imagine what it would be like to be so happy, and then worry if you'll have it the next day or not," Astrid said._

" _I know, but as with any relationship you're in, Astrid; you have to take the good with the bad, or vice-versa," Camicazi reminded. Astrid supposed that was true, and it did make her feel better about the possibility of dating Thuggory. "Just go for it, Astrid. It can only go one of two ways if you start dating; either it works or it doesn't, and if it does, then great, but if not then be honest about it and end things, maybe stay friends afterward. All I know is you won't know unless you try,"_

" _Well, if he asks me to be his girlfriend, we'll see what happens. I should probably go, got homework to finish. Thanks, Cami, it really helped put things into perspective for me. I'll talk to you later," Astrid smiled._

" _Bye, Astrid!" Hiccup called as Cami giggled._

" _Bye," Astrid then ended the call._

 **~End Flashback~**

"Astrid!" Heather yelled as Astrid shook her head a bit and looked at them.

"Hm?" Astrid tilted her head a bit, not knowing what was going on.

"You've been zoned out for two minutes, babe," Thuggory said.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Astrid replied, now feeling embarrassed.

"Are you okay?" Thuggory wondered.

"Yeah, I just didn't get enough sleep is all. My…stomach was bothering me," Astrid confessed gently.

"Are you getting sick?" Camicazi questioned.

"Maybe," Astrid shrugged as Hiccup put his palm to her forehead, then the back of the same hand on her cheek.

"She does feel a bit warm. I suggest going to the nurse and getting something to keep a possible fever down, and perhaps take care of any pain. Also, I would advise taking it easy, and getting to bed early tonight," Hiccup informed.

"I will," Astrid nodded.

"And with that, we gotta go guys," Cody mentioned as he checked his watch.

"I guess it's about that time," Hiccup said as he kissed Camicazi deeply, and hugged her. "I'll stay in contact as much as I can, Milady,"

Thuggory hugged Astrid, and kissed her lips softly. "As will I," he told her. After that, the Marines left the school, got on their dragons and zipped into the sky to reach Camp Drakonia. The bell rang as the students stood up, then exited the classroom to get to the next one. Today started two months that Camicazi and Astrid would not get to see their boyfriends; they hoped it went by fast.


	9. Chapter 9

**No Matter What**

Rated: M

Pairings: Hiccup X Astrid

Disclaimer; I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, but I do own the rights to my OC characters!

 **Chapter Nine**

=Hiccup's POV=

 _{February 7, 2010-Sunday}_

Well, it took some time, but I was done with my beginner training, and today, I graduated from ITB or Infantry Training Battalion. It was long, and challenging, which was fine by me. Every day was something different, but we did get time to make phone calls home at least. Camicazi and Astrid were happy about that. I was delighted for my friend, Thuggory liked Astrid a lot, so I hoped things worked out. Thuggory and I were best friends, and have been since we were younger. My father, Stoick was good friends with Thuggory's father, Mogadon Hedsen. Thuggory's mother walked out on Mogadon and Thuggory when Thug was only fourteen, and to this day, Thuggory refuses to speak to her and Mogadon took full custody of him. The ex-wife tries to call on his birthday, and holidays, but Thuggory won't forgive her for walking out on them all those years ago. I've known Thuggory since we were nine, and though we attended different schools, we never lost contact. Thuggory helped me deal with my mother's passing two years ago. It hit the family hard, but with time and support, my father and I made it through.

My mother battled breast cancer for years; it would be hard, then go into remission, and come back within a few months or so. After so many years of treatments and surgeries, the doctors confirmed that she had terminal cancer in 2004, and only gave her a couple of years left. My mom survived to 2007, when she passed away on December 20 while surrounded by friends and family. This year was a bit hard for me because I was in the city for training on the two-year anniversary of her death. However, it had been a special allowance by Drill Sergeant Ryker Grimborn that I got to call home using the office phone. I was in my drill sergeant's debt after that.

 **~Flashback; 12/20/2009~**

 _I woke up at four in the morning and sighed heavily knowing what today was. The two-year anniversary of my mother's passing, and I wasn't home with my father. I laid in bed staring up at the ceiling as I heard shifting above me._

" _Hiccup?" Thuggory said._

" _Hm?" I replied quietly._

" _You awake?" Thuggory wondered. We had to be quiet because our Drill Sergeant was sleeping in the side room at the front of the barrack; he got his own room while the males of the platoon shared a room with bunkbeds. Weren't we lucky? It was like that in Boot Camp too though; teach us to work together to keep our things clean and help one another out._

" _Obviously if I answered you," I responded._

" _Oh, yeah. Are you okay?" Thuggory questioned._

" _I guess," I told him._

" _I know what today is for you," Thuggory said as I sighed closing my eyes._

" _I'm alright, my friend. I just hope my dad is," I informed._

" _Why don't you ask the drill sergeant if you can make a call home because of the occasion?"Thuggory suggested._

" _I don't feel like getting my ass chewed out by our DS for asking a question that doesn't have to do with training," Hiccup remarked._

" _Hey, it was only an idea," Thuggory reminded as the lights flipped on and the morning routine began with Drill Sergeant Ryker Grimborn came in yelling at us to get up and get ready for PT or Personal Training. By the 6:30 am mark, the troops were eating breakfast._

" _Private Haddock," came the voice of our company leader, Viggo Grimborn. I stood quickly from my seat and saluted him._

" _Major Grimborn, sir," I said quickly, then saw his brother Ryker next to him. I knew Viggo was the younger brother, but I guessed that Ryker didn't want to advance much in his career, and Viggo did._

" _Would you come with us, please?" Ryker asked._

" _Sir, yes sir," I replied and then followed them outside of the mess hall. We reached Major Grimborn's office, then stepped inside as Ryker shut the door._

" _Have a seat," Viggo invited as I did so in the chair in front of his desk. "Sergeant First Class Grimborn has informed me that you're not performing as well as you typically do today,"_

" _I apologize, Drill Sergeant. I will do better," I inform firmly._

" _Relax, son. You are not in any trouble over it. We're merely trying to understand if there might be a reason behind such," Ryker told him._

" _Is something troubling you? Are you having trouble with another trainee? Feeling ill?" Viggo asked._

" _No, to all three, sir," I stated. "The day itself just isn't a good one, and I suppose I'm a bit distracted," I admitted afterward._

" _May I inquire as to why today is not a good day?" Viggo wondered._

" _It's the two-year anniversary of my mother's passing, Major. She died on this day in 2007, and I'm concerned for my father. Last year we went to the cemetery together, and it was hard for him, so I don't know if he went this time since I'm not there," I explained._

" _I'm sorry for your loss, lad," Ryker said as I shrugged._

" _It's okay, I know she fought for as long as she could, and died peacefully. I just know it's a hard time of year for him because of the holidays; she's no here anymore, and now, neither am I for Christmas and that was always big got us. I'm sure he's kind of miserable since I can't make contact that often. I just want to know if he's alright; I'll be fine if I know that. He's…all I got left, ya know?" I confessed. Ryker and Viggo looked at one another, and then Viggo lifted the phone off the cradle before dialing a three-digit code, then handed it to me._

" _Call home, Private," Ryker told me as my eyes widened a bit. I couldn't believe it; they were letting me call my dad? I nodded, and then dialed my dad's number._

 **~End Flashback~**

It had been a better day after I talked to dad. I had been right, he wasn't okay, but felt better after speaking to me. Dad had been at the cemetery in front of mom's stone when I called, and he was glad I could call due to the circumstances of what day it was. I only got about ten minutes in, but it was all dad and I needed. Another amazing thing was that we got a Christmas surprise; to got home for the 24th and 25th of December as long as we all reported back on the 26th by 5 am. I was beyond happy that happened because I got to see dad, Gobber, and Cami for a holiday. Dad and I got to go to the cemetery together, and that made all the difference in how my Christmas went. Of course, those few days off pushed out training back, so now it was the 7th and we had just graduated an hour ago. Surprisingly, I made Corporal and was named my team's leader. The whole battalion broke down into smaller sections. Our force was known as the 2nd Drakonian Infantry Battalion.

However, three companies made up this group; Alpha, Blast, and Cloud. Everything was broken up by three. Companies from three Platoons, then those from three Squads, and that from three Teams. My official location for the Battalion is Alpha Company, Storm Platoon, Lightning Squad, and Strike Team. Pretty cool, right? Right now, we were waiting to learn our permanent duty station. I hoped I'd be in Berkville, but I didn't know because our assigned area was according to platoon, and mine had thirty-six members in it. Which meant that there were three squadrons of twelve with three four-person teams each because twelve multiplied by three was thirty-six. At the moment, the members of Storm Platoon were awaiting orders outside our barracks. There were no females in this entire battalion. Why? Because there were no females in the military job of Infantry. However, I believe that once we moved to our permanent station, there would be females among us serving as combat medics and what not. That was alright with me; I didn't mind.

The door opened as Drill Sergeant Grimborn walked in; we all stood up at the foot of our bunks and saluted him. "Alrighty, my freshly graduated Infantry Marines, here's the deal with your orders. For the time being you're going to be broken up by where you live. Arc City is in the middle of everything, depending on which town you reside in will determine where you report to base. The locations just outside of the city have stations, so there are three. Huntsmount and Murdstead to Visimar. Bashford, Ugbury, Shivhurst to Peacefield. And lastly, towns South, Southwest and Southeast of Arc will report to Berkville. Everyone got that?"

"What of those living in the city?" asked one person with their hand up.

"Report here," Ryker said.

"Understood," the male replied.

"That being established, I do have more information for you," Ryker continued. "This battalion is set for an eighteen-month deployment in August 2010 to Camp Nox, which is in the Helmand Province's Lashkar-Gah, Afghanistan. You will all report to the central base of operations; Fort Archia. You will be receiving a list in June of what you are required to pack, and what you are allowed to bring. Are there any questions?" I put my hand up. "Speak," he said.

"What of our dragons?" I asked.

"A team will guide them in the day we fly; they will leave an hour before we do and arrive to get settled in the stables nearest the owner's barrack," Ryker stated. "Oh, and on an unrelated note; you are NOT permitted to discuss this deployment with anyone other than military personnel for the time being,"

"We can't tell our families to prepare them?" Eret inquired.

"I'm afraid not because there are still details being worked out. As you may have noticed, your platoon leader did not give you a set time or date on when to report to the airfield. We will know more as the time draws close," Major Grimborn's voice informed while walking up to his brother. "We will leave you with ample time to inform loved ones of the deployment, but for now we ask that you don't say anything,"

"Orders understood, Major," the Marines replied together with a nod.

"Very good. At this time, you are dismissed and will report to your duty stations tomorrow at 0600 hours. Your CO there will tell you what your average day will consist of and when you go home," Ryker remarked. "Off with you now," he added. The Marines broke off and began preparing to leave. I gave a whistle to Toothless as he bounded over to my side. I smiled and rubbed his head while getting my bags on, then throwing a leg over the saddle. So we were getting deployed in six months it seemed, and we couldn't tell anyone. I sighed. For now, I just wanted to get home and take a hot shower.

 _{June 19, 2010-Berkian Dragon Academy-11 am}_

Today was a big day on so many levels. For starters, I finally knew more about the deployment that was taking place. Another aspect was that we received permission to tell our family and friends. And lastly, my girlfriend was graduating High School, and I was here to enjoy it. Thuggory was with me too, so he could see Astrid graduate. Those two were doing really well in their relationship; they've been together almost seven months on the 24th of June, it was only the 19th right now. Camicazi and I would be together three years come August, which is when I was deploying. Thank the Gods that it was after the anniversary of us dating, literally _one day_ after we would be celebrating. I was leaving on Monday, August 9th, 2010 at 7 am from Fort Archia's Airfield. I wasn't going to worry about it right now, but I knew I was telling my father, Gobber, and Cami today.

I sat next to Thuggory, who was planning to tell Astrid about the deployment today too as we watched names get called for the students to receive their diplomas. At the moment; we were only in the last names starting with an A. The time continued to pass as I heard _Camicazi Boggs_ get called sometime after Heather had gone. I recorded the entire moment on my phone as she walked across the outdoor stage in her silver cap and gown, the boys were in red, girls silver. Camicazi shook Alvin's hand, then got her diploma. I cheered her on as she returned to her spot. I watched as Astrid, Fishlegs, Snotlout, Ruffnut, then Tuffnut, and finally, Throk be called up in their respected last name group. The ceremony concluded as I hugged and kissed Camicazi after she was greeted by her parents and grandparents. I congratulated her, and then we soon left. Today was the party for family, tomorrow, I'd be joining Cami for the friends one. That is when I was telling her about the deployment news.


	10. Chapter 10

**No Matter What**

Rated: M

Pairings: Hiccup X Astrid

Disclaimer; I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, but I do own the rights to my OC characters!

 **Chapter Ten**

=Hiccup's POV=

 _{November 26, 2010-Camp Nox}_

It had not been easy to tell my Gobber, father, and girlfriend that I was deploying to Afghanistan. My father and Gobber were shocked to learn of the news, but Camicazi got scared, and pleaded me not to go. However, there were no changing these orders. I was set to leave for my first tour of duty August 9, 2010; the day after Camicazi's 18th birthday, and our three-year dating anniversary of being in a relationship. I informed dad and Gobber that night after Cami's High School graduation since she had to go to a family related celebration for it. The next day during the party she had with friends, I told her about the deployment, and I did not like seeing her cling to me in tears while pleading for it not to be true. I did what I could to ease her fears, and spent as much time as I could with her before the fateful day in August. The night before I left, I took Cami on an all-day date; breakfast at 8 am, the Summer festival for 10:30 am, and won a couple prizes for her, we rode on the rides, and had lunch there too. For the evening, I took her to see a movie, then out to dinner afterward.

Of course, once at my house when all that was over; I let Camicazi spend the night and I was up at 3:00 am after going to bed only three hours before that. By 7:30 am, we, as in me and the battalion was in the sky heading to Camp Nox in the Helmand Province's Lashkar-Gah of Afghanistan. Since that day it had been three months on the 9th of November, and today was the 26th; Thanksgiving in the year 2010. Right now, it's 8:30 am for me, but only 4:00 am back home, so I wasn't going to call just yet. Hopefully, the wifi would hold so I could contact them this morning and later tonight during dinner. I didn't have a laptop, but I had my phone and tablet with me, and both chargers even though they used the same one. It never hurt to have a spare, right? Yep, so there was four-hour and thirty-minute time difference between Afghanistan and Archian State. The barracks here are a lot like home, which were capable of holding an entire platoon. This camp was very organized, and a central base for us; we had others around as support ones. Each station had a medical area too, but the main ones had support hospitals.

Everything here was like living in the stone age except that we had electricity and internet. Our bathrooms were porta-potties which were all around camp, and the showers were a shipping crate with a water heater; there were a few of those in each sector too. The porta-potties were placed inside these little cabins; four in a row on the of our metal barracks, and then there was the crate with six stalls for showering. Each spot was separated by a shower curtain, and you had time to get in, get wet, wash hair and body, rinse, then get out. There were timers and it was a quarter for every five minutes in there. Getting changed was not a huge deal as we were all males, and after Basic and SOI, you got used to seeing one another naked. Still, though, a lot of the men would help one another out by holding up a towel or blanket as a shield.

The only difference in how we slept in these barracks as opposed to the ones from training was that we didn't have bunk beds with a storage chest at the end. No, these were single cots with a metal locker to the left of them. There were four windows and two overhead fans. There were two air conditioners; one at the back of the barrack, and another towards the front. Other places at Camp Nox was the central operations building, the chow hall, and as I mentioned, medical areas, and a hospital near the C.O.H(Central Operations Hub). Camp Nox was a base that housed a Corps, and this means that there are almost nine-thousand military forces present here. Me, I'm with my battalion, led by Lieutenant Colonel Henrik Andersen.

My average day here varied as sometimes we were running missions or pushing back enemy forces. Our downtime consisted of sitting around the barrack, occasionally flying our dragons too; that was a day thing, but on occasion we could fly at night. Toothless and I were experts at night missions because I had a specially made combat uniform and hat with black and gray patterns, also black boots to fly Toothless since we blended in with the sky. It was the perfect cover and these uniforms were only issues to dragon riders with dark-colored dragons. At the moment, I just finished breakfast with the guys, and I honestly wasn't feeling all that good. It started last night, a headache and a little exhaustion; I thought nothing of it at first until I woke up slowly this morning feeling like I might puke. I took a hot shower, and that seemed to help. However, now that I've eaten something, I was feeling worse.

"Hiccup, you alright man?" Eret's voice dragged me out of my thoughts.

"Hm? Yeah, I'm okay," I responded to him.

"Are you sure?" Cody inquired.

"You're not looking like you are," Ere nodded in agreement.

"Guys, I'm fine, okay? I just didn't sleep all that great," I stated. This wasn't untrue; I really hadn't. And now the feeling like I have to throw up is coming back. Just what I didn't need. I felt it rise, then I forced it back. Maybe I just needed to get more sleep; as far as I know, we didn't have any missions, patrols, or guards tonight since we did one yesterday for sixteen hours. "Catch ya later," I told them as I got up and left the chow hall. Reaching the barrack, I took off my uniform coat and hat, laid them across the trunk at the foot of my bed, then I laid down and hoped I'd get some sleep.

=Normal POV=

 _{Later That Night-9 pm}_

Hiccup slept through lunch and almost to dinner, only getting up a few times to use the bathroom or have a drink of water. However, Eret, Cody, and Thuggory could tell that he was tired because he'd always get right back into bed, then fell asleep within fifteen minutes.

"Think he might be sick?" Cody asked.

"It's possible. People who don't feel well tend to sleep more," Thuggory replied. Ryker walked in and over to the group, seeing that Hiccup was sleeping.

"Catching up on his sleep?" Ryker asked.

"We don't know, sir. Hiccup left breakfast after eating, saying he didn't sleep well last night, but he's been out almost all day. We've only seen him get up to use the bathroom or get a drink," Eret informed.

"He slept through lunch, and dinner," Cody mentioned. Ryker leaned over and tapped Hiccup a few times to wake him. Hiccup shifted a little before he opened his eyes to see Ryker there. Hiccup sat up slowly and looked at him.

"What time is it?" Hiccup groaned a bit.

"2100, Corporal. Want to tell me why you've been sleeping all day, and skipped two meals?" Ryker stated.

"I wasn't feeling well after breakfast, so I came back here to rest and see if it helped any," Hiccup admitted.

"I see. And has it helped at all?" Ryker wondered.

"No, not really," Hiccup revealed. "Perhaps gotten worse," he added.

"How so?" Viggo's voice asked as he walked in. "I sent Ryker to find you because we were going to see if you and your team would do a recon tonight. However, seeing as you are feeling ill, I'll task someone else with the mission,"

"Started with a headache and exhaustion last night; I passed it off as needing sleep because of the sixteen-hour guard last night. I felt better after waking up, but when breakfast was over, my stomach started bothering me. I came back here to rest," Hiccup informed.

"And how are you feeling now?" Ryker questioned.

"Worse. A headache, stomachache, tired, no appetite," Hiccup listed off.

Thuggory checked his forehead with a hand. "He's a little warm too," Thuggory interjected.

"Have you thrown up at all?" Viggo inquired.

"Couple times before lunch," Hiccup nodded. "I feel nauseous, but it doesn't always make me want to puke,"

"Alright. Lay back down and keep resting. You boys keep an eye on him, and if the vomiting gets worse or the fever rises, take him to the TMC to be checked out, and inform us," Viggo stated.

"Got it, Major," Thuggory, Eret, and Cody replied with a salute. Viggo and Ryker left after Hiccup laid down on the bed and closed his eyes. Hiccup sat up again and checked his watch before getting his cell phone.

"The Major just told you to rest," Cody sighed.

"I will. I just gotta…call home first to wish Dad, Gobber, and Cami a Happy Thanksgiving," Hiccup replied as he logged into Skype, and clicked his father's name.

 _~Hey, son! I'm so glad you could call.~_ Stoick answered.

"Hi, Dad," Hiccup smiled a bit.

 _~You look terrible, laddie.~_ Gobber remarked.

Hiccup shrugged it off knowing Gobber was there too. It made sense, after Valka died, Gobber, Stoick, and Hiccup were never apart. "I'm just a little sick, Gobber," Hiccup said.

 _~Any idea what it is?~_ Stoick wondered.

"Probably a twenty-four thing, maybe longer. I don't know, but I'm okay. I've been staying in bed, Dad. I just wanted to call and say Happy Thanksgiving to you and Gobber," Hiccup said.

 _~Thank you, son. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your comrades too. We won't keep ya long, and feel better soon. Stay on the water.~_ Stoick reminded.

"I will, Dad. Don't worry," Hiccup replied. "I love you,"

 _~We love you too, Hiccup. Talk to you when you're better.~_ Gobber responded. Hiccup nodded as he ended the call, smiling a little. It did make him feel somewhat better to get to talk to them, especially on holidays like these where he couldn't be home with them. Hiccup messaged Camicazi to make sure she wasn't in the middle of dinner since it was about 4:30 pm Archian State time.

 _ **[Yes, you can absolutely call, baby!]**_ Was Cami's reply message. Hiccup chuckled a little as he pressed the icon to call her, then waited for it to connect, which took a few extra seconds.

 _~Hiccup! I'm so glad you could call!~_ Camicazi greeted.

"Hello, Milady. And what made you think I wouldn't? It is Thanksgiving after all," Hiccup told her.

 _~I know, but you've been so busy that last few months. And sometimes you can go a week without making contact.~_ Cami countered.

"I'm sorry about that, babe. Everything was so crazy when we arrived; having to adjust and what not. We do get a little preoccupied with work over here. I do my best to make time, and even then, if the signal is crappy then I can't get a call through," Hiccup explained.

 _~Well, at least we have letters and instant message, right? How is Thanksgiving going for you?~_ Camicazi asked with a smile.

"Unfortunately, I skipped lunch and dinner, beautiful. I've been feeling a bit sick since breakfast, and have been resting all day," Hiccup informed.

 _~Aw, my poor Hiccup. If you were home, I'd take care of you.~_ Camicazi frowned.

"I know you would. You are helping; my dreams of you make it easier to sleep." Hiccup said as Camicazi blushed a little. "How are you enjoying the holiday?"

 _~Better now that I've gotten to see you.~_ Camicazi enlightened.

"I'm glad I could help then. I really miss you," Hiccup stated. "When I come home for leave, I'm kidnapping you for a week just to hold you,"

 _~I miss you too, Hiccup. And I have no objections to that kidnapping. Any word on when you might get leave?~_ Cami inquired.

"Well, I've only been here three months. I doubt I'll get it anytime soon; probably around the half-way mark. Until then, we have Skype," Hiccup reminded.

 _~It still sucks, but you're right and I can deal with it. Have you talked to your dad? He sent me a text earlier from him and Gobber; wishing my family and me a Happy Thanksgiving.~_ Camicazi said.

"I talked to him and Gobber before I called you," Hiccup nodded as he yawned once, then closed his eyes to fight back throwing up.

 _~I saw that, babe. You need to get more rest, and then we can talk more when you're up for it.~_ Cami ordered him.

"You're the best, Cami. I don't know what I'd do with you, and it means the world to me that you stand by me in everything I do. Especially this military stuff," Hiccup told her as she smiled at him.

 _~It's because I love you. Go lay down, Hic. I hope you feel better soon.~_ Camicazi told him gently.

"Alright. I'm sure I will, babe. I love you too. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family," Hiccup stated. After that, the call ended and Hiccup put the phone beside him to charge. Hiccup smiled while thinking about Camicazi; he truly loved her, and knew that when he got off this tour, he was going to make sure she and everyone else knew it too. When Hiccup got home from Afghanistan, he and Cami will have been together four years, and as soon as he got back; he was going to ask for her hand in marriage. Hiccup laid down and fell asleep with that thought and planning just exactly how he'd pull off the perfect proposal.


	11. Chapter 11

**No Matter What**

Rated: M

Pairings: Hiccup X Astrid

Disclaimer; I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, but I do own the rights to my OC characters!

 **Chapter Eleven**

=Camicazi's POV=

 _{April 2011}_

 **~Flashback; September 2010~**

 _I just started at Archian State University two weeks ago, and have already been invited to my first party which was being thrown by one of the top sorority houses. I was told it was some Freshman welcoming something or other, and after asking around, I learned that this house does it every year. I figured why not go and see if I can't make some friends at college. Heather and Fishlegs were attending, but had their own apartment off campus. I knew that Astrid was working in the city, and living with her uncle Finn so she wouldn't have such a long travel each day, and also, she was training for tryouts to the Archian State Racing League. The twins were attending the Berkville Community College for design; I know they wanted to work on decorating for indoor and outdoor. Throk was working with his mother at The Sanctuary Preserve. Everyone was doing good after High School. Of course, for me, I missed my boyfriend who left for Afghanistan about two weeks ago. It was a hard goodbye because I wouldn't see him again until he got his two-week leave time. Thankfully, we had letters, e-mail, Skype, and instant message to stay in contact with._

 _I reached the sorority house around 8 pm, and was brought in by the residents there, then introduced as Cami because I'd told them I preferred to be called that. By 9:30 pm, I was sitting off to the side while hoping to hear from Hiccup. However, I knew it was 2 am in Afghanistan because of the fact, they were four hours and thirty minutes ahead of Archian State time. I highly suspected my boyfriend was asleep or working; Hiccup warned me of what things would be like with him deployed. I was fond of it, but I promised to support his decisions as long as he vowed to come home to me. It hurt to hear, but Hiccup swore that whether he was alive or dead; he would return home. It offered little comfort to me, but I understood he couldn't make a promise to come back alive when everyone lived by the words of 'Tomorrow is promised to no one.' I didn't like it one bit, and I couldn't lie about that._

" _What's a pretty thing like you sitting over here alone for?" came a male voice. I looked up quickly to see a male with short, light brown hair and hazel eyes._

" _Oh! I, uh, was hoping to hear from my boyfriend, but I guess he's already asleep or doing something else," I replied._

" _At this hour? Kind'a lame," the boy said._

" _I'll have you know that my boyfriend is an A.S. Marine, and currently deployed to Afghanistan for the next eighteen months," I remarked._

" _My bad. So you got a name?" the male asked me._

" _Cami," I answered._

" _I'm Harald," the man, Harald introduced. "Well, since your boyfriend is busy, want to join the party?" he asked._

" _I'm good here, thank you," I said._

" _Your choice, I suppose. But hey, if I can offer some advice?" Harald informed as I glanced at him. "You don't have to just sit around waiting on him when you got your own life; you shouldn't put yourself on hold to live by his schedule. Experience your life, and let him live his. You two will talk when you're both available. Right now, he's working or sleeping, and you're here doing nothing. Just because you have a boyfriend doesn't mean you can't have any fun. If you're ever looking for a good time to enjoy the college years, hit me up. Harald Hendersen; Dorm #107 in building D,"After that, he walked away as I sat there looking at my phone. Who was I kidding? I wouldn't hear from Hiccup tonight, so why was I waiting around for him to contact me._

 **~End Flashback~**

It's been eight months total now that Hiccup has been deployed, and something is different about him. I couldn't put my finger on what exactly, but I've been with Hiccup for three years, so I knew something was off recently. It started a few months back at the five-month mark; every time Hiccup and I get time to talk to one another, it seems like he uninterested and doesn't speak much. I asked if he was okay, and he insists he's fine; just tired. I knew the work he did, and that it was tiring, but all the time? I didn't like it, and it concerned me to be truthful. Stoick and Gobber seemed to think Hiccup was perfectly fine, but to me, no. Hiccup had changed, or he still was slowly, and I wanted to get to the bottom of why.

My schooling was going fantastically; I was going out to be a social worker. I wanted to work with kids, getting them adopted by loving families, and also counseling them if they had problems. I love ASU; it was a phenomenal college, and I'd made a lot of new friends, but still kept in contact with the ones I'd met at BDA. We tried to meet up at least twice a month to hang out and catch up, but lately, I'd been going to more parties because it took my mind off wondering if Hiccup was alright or not. I never drank a lot, but I'd enjoy the music, and dance a little. I loved Hiccup, I really did, but it was times like these where I've only seen him through a screen for the last eight months that I disliked his military career. Sometimes Hiccup would just call to tell me he's alright and wanted to say goodnight or that he was going on a mission and wouldn't be able to talk later.

Truthfully, it felt like we were falling apart because of the distance. Even this far into the tour, almost half-way done with, and Hiccup still didn't know when he was getting his leave. I knew something was bothering Hiccup, and it hurt a little to know that he wouldn't tell me whatever it was. I felt like he was keeping secrets, and I didn't like that at all. Yet, as much as I tried; Hiccup would talk about anything regarding Afghanistan, just that it was one day after another of living the military life while fighting a war. As much as I wanted to hear from him; I had to face facts that Hiccup was too busy for me sometimes. That Harald guy was right. Why should I put everything on my life second to Hiccup when he didn't do the same for me? I knew he was in a war, but I barely got to hear from him once a week, and even then, I could hardly hear him or he was tired. I'm in college, and I should be enjoying it, so, I'm going to. When Hiccup made time for me, I'd make it for him, until then, I'm not waiting around to live my life according to his.

=Astrid's POV=

Well, I'm a High School graduate now and living with my uncle Finn in the city to work while training for the next tryouts to the racing league. Thuggory and I are still together, and have been dating a year last November. It's been a year and five months now, six come May when Thuggory hits the half-way mark of being deployed. So far, it's been eight months, and surprisingly; it's not too hard for us to stay in contact. We have Skype, instant messages, and e-mail. Granted, it's not an every day reply since he's working or sleeping, and I'm working, but we always talk. Thuggory told me about some of the deaths within the company he's apart of, nothing with details; just that there had been some men and women who passed away. My heart went out to him; it couldn't be easy to lose a friend to war. I consoled the best I could, but it was easy when we're this far away from one another.

There have been some updates among my friends. Heather and Fishlegs were engaged now; he proposed last Christmas after living together since August when Thuggory and Hiccup left for deployment. I believed their wedding was sometime in the summer of 2012. Throk and Ruffnut had been recently discussing to live together, but nothing official just yet. Tuffnut was seeing someone, and as far as I knew it was nothing serious. Snotlout on the other hand was still single; I heard he'd been with one girl, but it didn't last because she lived on her phone. That's what Snotlout said at least. Things were going well for everyone, though, I found myself thinking about Hiccup more. I know that's wrong because I'm taken, and I shouldn't be concerned with my best friend's boyfriend, yet I was.

All the times I spoke to Camicazi, she would be complaining about the fact she barely got to talk to Hiccup, and actually got a little upset after I told her that Thuggory and I spoke every day, or tried to. Camicazi didn't like it because Hiccup and Thuggory were teammates with Eret and Cody, so why couldn't Hiccup talk to her more. I didn't know, but I suggested she speak to Hiccup about it. The next time I asked how things went, Camicazi said Hiccup didn't want to tell what was bothering him. It got me wondering the same thing; why wouldn't Hiccup talk about what was wrong, and I could sense that there was something; I just didn't know what exactly. I tried asking Thuggory, and he said that Hiccup did a lot of missions, guards, and patrols during different hours of the day and night because of Toothless blending in with the night sky, and being silent almost. I understood that; nothing held a candle to a Night Fury. However, even with all that, I still felt like something wasn't right. And truthfully, my feelings for Hiccup never faded. If anything now, they were developing more because I was concerned for Hiccup, and wanted to know if he was alright.

This situation I was faced with made me consider more to the equation because it wasn't just me that I had to think about. There was also Thuggory too. Now, I knew he was alright except for missing some terrific friends who passed away to the war. However, I had to consider my place with him. Thuggory and I made an incredible couple, and I did like him a lot, but my _love_ for him was more friendship side rather than lovers. I felt romantic feelings for Hiccup, and I could no longer deny it. Yes, I knew that Hiccup was my best friend's boyfriend, but I couldn't help but feel like something was going to happen, and it would be life-changing that involved several people at once. Mind you, I wouldn't ever step in between Camicazi and Hiccup's relationship; I wasn't that kind of girl. In all this, I had to think about my future, and sadly, I don't believe it includes Thuggory as my boyfriend anymore. I couldn't love him when my heart went out to someone else, and it wasn't fair to tell Thuggory I loved him when I didn't. I didn't want to hurt him, but I felt that it was best if we broke up. I started considering this option a few weeks back when I heard a song on the radio; O-Town's Nothing At All.

This was a song talking about a couple together, but the male felt like the woman wasn't all there with her feelings for him. The boyfriend loved the girl, but if she didn't love him back fully, then he didn't want to be with her at all. I understood the message of the lyrics, to not be with someone if you couldn't give them your all. I cared about Thuggory, and would remain his friend if he desired, but I couldn't be with him anymore because I can't give him all my love, when my heart yearns for another. As I said, I wouldn't step between Hiccup and Cami, but I wouldn't lie to myself or to Thuggory anymore. It was evident now that while I may never stand a chance in Valhalla of being with Hiccup; Thuggory and I were not meant to be because if we were then being with him would erase Hiccup from my thoughts and heart, and that is not the case. When Thuggory came home on his leave time; I was going to break up with him for the good of both of us.


	12. Chapter 12

**No Matter What**

Rated: M

Pairings: Hiccup X Astrid

Disclaimer; I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, but I do own the rights to my OC characters!

 **Chapter Twelve**

=Normal POV=

 _{May 2011}_

It had been a month since Astrid made the decision to break up with Thuggory when he came home on leave. Astrid did love him, but not in a romantic sense. Thuggory was more of a best friend who was male, and Astrid felt that it wasn't fair to be dating him if she couldn't give her full heart to Thuggory. Another part of Astrid believed that if things were meant to be between her and Thuggory, then they would make it back to one another at a later time, but for now, it was best to part ways and see where life takes her. Astrid wanted Hiccup, but would never be that girl who tries to break up the current relationship between two people; it was not the kind of person she was. Astrid would focus on work, and training to try out for the Archian State Racing League next time it was being held. At the moment, Astrid was nervous because Thuggory called last night to say he was coming home for two-week leave today and would be landing later in the afternoon. Astrid assumed that he would go see his father, Mogadon first, and spend some time with him before coming to see her. Astrid felt that this would give her time to prepare to break up with Thuggory when they inevitably got together for a date.

Astrid had turned nineteen-years-old on March 15, 2011 and knew Thuggory was turning twenty in June. Astrid remembered when Hiccup turned nineteen, that happened in back in February because Astrid took her chance to send him a Happy Birthday message on the 28th. Hiccup was a leap-year child, so his next official birthday on February 29th wouldn't happen until next year; 2012. Astrid loved how Hiccup made her laugh on his birthday because he made a comment that technically he was only four-years-old and it wasn't proper for someone of his age to be dating an older woman, referring to Camicazi, of course, who was just eighteen until August this year. Hiccup had a beautiful smile that could light up the world, and he was a man of his word too. If Hiccup promised something, then he would keep it according to Cami. Astrid knew that Hiccup and Cami have had sex with one another; Cami had no shame in admitting that she wasn't a virgin because she and Hiccup had sex on what would be Hiccup's seventeenth birthday when Cami was still sixteen. Technically speaking, they started having sex in what was Hiccup's Senior Year of High School and Camicazi's Junior since Hiccup jumped a grade and graduated at seventeen.

Astrid knew about all her friend's virginity status. Heather and Fishlegs were virgins, but they used foreplay to get off and were saving sex for marriage in 2012. Ruffnut and Throk had sex at the one-year mark of dating in September 2009 when we were Seniors in High School. Snotlout had sex when he was sixteen, the youngest of all the friends to lose his virginity to a girl he'd been with for ten months. After the deed was done, that girl left him. Tuffnut and Astrid were still virgins, wanting to take the same path as Heather and Fishlegs with waiting until they were married, or at least in a stable relationship with someone they loved and things would last and meet the ultimate goal of being married. Astrid and Thuggory considered the possibility of having sex if they made it two years, but he's deployed and Astrid was preparing to leave him because she didn't love him. For a reason unknown to her still, she wanted to be with Hiccup; she was very attracted to him, and her feelings for Hiccup were stronger than what she felt for Thuggory. It wasn't fair to be with Thuggory when she didn't love him entirely, and couldn't because she wanted someone else who she couldn't have.

Astrid didn't know who she would be with and end up marrying, but that was part of the journey for life. Astrid felt that if she liked Hiccup _this_ much, and they were meant to be, then they would end up together. That is what Astrid believed; that the person she was destined or fated to be with would find their way into her life. Feelings mattered to a degree, and while she cared deeply for Thuggory, she cared _more_ for Hiccup even if they weren't together. For now, Astrid would leave Thuggory and see where life took her.

 _{A Few Days Later}_

As expected, Thuggory came home three days ago, and after spending some time with his dad; he asked Astrid out for a date. That was happening now; the two met up at a diner for lunch, and had been seated in a small booth.

"I'm glad you were able to meet me for lunch today, babe. It's been so long," Thuggory started the conversation between them.

"I know. These last nine months have _dragged_ on," Astrid exaggerated with a smile. "I've missed you,"

"I missed you too," Thuggory replied.

"How have things been in Afghanistan?" Astrid asked.

"Quiet right now, that's why a lot of people are taking their leave time. We don't like to separate when it's heavy," Thuggory informed.

"Of course, makes sense. How's Hiccup, Eret, and Cody?" Astrid wondered.

"All doing okay. The last death hit the team hard because it was one in our platoon," Thuggory sighed. "I think it hurt Hiccup the most; he's been kind of down since it happened last month,"

"Well, I hope he'll be okay. Tell him to talk to someone, bottling it is the worst thing he can do," Astrid offered.

"I will relay the message when I get back at the end of next week," Thuggory nodded. It was silent between them for a few minutes. "I feel like you want to say something to me, but don't know how to begin,"

"I was, uh, getting the same vibe from you," Astrid admitted.

"You're good a reading people. Yes, there…is something I was hoping to talk to you about, and I didn't want you to get upset, so I was trying to find the right words," Thuggory stated.

"That's actually what I was trying to do too, but I feel as though it might be better to just say it rather than beat around the bush," Astrid said.

"I agree. Um, ladies first?" Thuggory motioned to her.

"Alright. The thing is; I like you a lot, Thuggory, and I've loved being with you this past year and a half. However, I can't bring myself to stay with you as old feelings for another have not faded. It's…true that I've never had a boyfriend before you, but I did have a crush who I still care for and I feel that it's not fair to you that we're together and I'm not giving you all of my heart because I can't," Astrid said calmly.

"Wow. I, uh, was not expecting that," Thuggory blinked in surprise.

"I'm…so sorry, Thuggory," Astrid looked down. Thuggory quickly reached a hand over the table and placed it on hers.

"No, no! Astrid, it's okay. I'm…not upset. I'm actually happy that's what you wanted to talk to me about because it's the same thing I had to say to you," Thuggory said as Astrid looked at him now. "Do you remember the night of the Marine Ball when I told Cody and Eret that I had someone but we had a falling out?" Astrid nodded to him, "Well, that girl was my ex. We…had a massive fight because I wouldn't sleep with her; I hadn't been ready at eighteen to be intimate with her because we'd only been dating six months, and I would have preferred to wait until we had more time in. Initially, she broke up with me and hooked up with someone else, but I must admit that over the last five or so months, she and I have been talking again. She…wants another chance, and all my feelings for her returned, but I wasn't sure about taking her back until I knew she understood why we fought and broke up, and also, that I could talk to you in person to end things,"

"Huh, I guess we both ended up in the same boat on that one," Astrid smiled a bit. "So, we agree to break up mutually then? And remain friends? I don't want to lose that if we can avoid such?"

"I am…more than okay with that, Astrid. And yes, of course we will remain friends. Thank you, for being so understanding," Thuggory smiled back.

"Thank you for the same. Friends then?" Astrid asked as she and Thuggory ended up shaking hands, nodding in agreement.

"Absolutely. Now, I say we enjoy our food," Thuggory told her. Astrid couldn't agree more, and she was glad things worked out this way. Now, she could keep her friendship with Thuggory, and knew he was going to be alright since he had someone else to go to. Astrid could focus on her life, and see where it went without worry she broke somebody's heart over her feelings for Hiccup; that was something she couldn't reveal to Thuggory because she knew that Hiccup and he was best friends. Telling Thuggory that would only start problems, and Astrid didn't want that. All Astrid wanted was to live her life and see where it took her and brought into her life.

=Camicazi's POV=

 _{August 2011}_

It's been a year that Hiccup has been deployed now. We're back to August, and I'm nineteen today! I was hoping that Hiccup wouldn't be too busy and could get a phone call in. I missed him a lot, and I was surprised that he hadn't taken his leave time yet. I wanted to ask him about that if we managed to talk today. I was brought from my thoughts by ringing; I glanced at my phone to see a call from Skype, and it was Hiccup! I answered it quickly.

"Hi, baby!" I said with a bright smile.

 _~Hey, babe. Happy Birthday.~_ Hiccup replied with a small smile.

"Thank you. I was hoping you'd be able to call tonight. It's what…Like 8:45 pm over there right now?" I asked.

 _~Yeah. The team and I just got off a twelve-hour guard and had dinner. What are you up to?~_ Hiccup questioned.

"Sitting at home for a birthday dinner with my parents and grandparents, but they aren't due home until 6 pm my time. I'm in Berkville right now,"I informed.

 _~Well, I'm glad I could call then, and not interrupt a meal. Oh, and happy four-year anniversary too.~_ Hiccup said and I smiled broadly.

"Happy Anni to you too, baby. I can't believe it's been four years already! When will I get to see you? I saw Thuggory back in May; that was the half-way mark of your eighteen months, wasn't it?" I asked.

 _~I don't know. Hopefully soon, I could use a break from all this.~_ Hiccup admitted with a sigh.

"What's going on, Hiccup? Did something happen?" I inquired gently.

 _~It's war, Cami. That's what's happening.~_ Hiccup said and I frowned a bit because he sounded annoyed almost. _~Sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you, babe. It's just kind of stressful right now, and I need some time off, but can't take it until I'm approved.~_

"Well, maybe I can take your mind off things and relax you. I'm…in my room right now, and no one is due home for at least two hours. Why…don't you sneak off somewhere quiet?" I suggested in a seductive voice.

 _~Quiet? Cami, come on. I live in a barrack with thirty-five other males.~_ Hiccup reminded.

"What about the bathroom?" I tried while slipping my hand down the front of my pajama pants and into my underwear. I started sliding my finger between my folds, letting out a small moan.

 _~No, Cami. Stop it. You'll just have to wait until I get home for two weeks.~_ Hiccup informed.

"Please?" I asked while still rubbing myself a few times before pushing a finger in my core and moaning a little louder. "We can be quick,"

 _~God damn it, Camicazi! I said no!~_ Hiccup said in an irritated tone as I stopped fast.

"What gives, Hiccup? You're always down for a little phone sex, especially when you're stressed out and we can't physically get together to make love," I demanded now.

 _~You're trying to have phone sex with me through Skype when you know I'm deployed and CAN'T. There is nowhere on this base I could go to masturbate. Also, I'm not using the porta-potties to masturbate. I know you want to help me, but that's not going to fix anything. I'm not in the mood, and I don't have time. You know I can be called at any time to go fight, do a mission, patrol, even a guard shift regardless that I've already done one today. Alright? I'm sorry, but you're just gonna have to wait until I get my leave.~_ Hiccup remarked.

"What's your problem, and don't tell me nothing. You've been there since last August, Hiccup, and you're…different. Moody, distant, always distracted or uninterested. Tell me what's going on, please?" I begged.

 _~Cami, it's war, okay? I'm always busy with work or sleeping. Right now, I'm tired, and I don't feel good. I don't want to fight with you, so I'm gonna go get some rest, and hopefully not be sick tomorrow. I'll call you then. I love you, babe. Goodnight.~_ Hiccup said, and before I could reply, he ended the video call. I stared at the phone, shocked about everything he'd said. Most of all, he…hung up on me, and got mad because I wanted to help him relax? Well, fine then. If that's how he wanted to be, then whatever. I'll talk to him when he decides I'm important enough. I got dressed and left the house, then grabbed Mimic, and flew to the University. After arriving, I put Mimic away, then moved to the D Dormitory. I located the room I was looking for, and knocked on the door.

=Normal POV=

The door opened as Camicazi saw Harald Hendersen, the male she spoke to at the beginning of the year, knowing he was at the University now because dorm students didn't have to leave over the summer break.

"Decided to take me up on my offer?" Harald asked. Camicazi pushed him inside the room and shut the door.

"You here alone?" Cami asked.

"Yep. I haven't been assigned a new roommate yet," Harald smiled.

"Good. You want to show me a good time?" Camicazi inquired as Harald grinned a bit.

"You wanna have sex?" Harald questioned. Camicazi leaned in and kissed him, then she locked the door, backed Harald up until he fell on his bed with Camicazi on top of him. From there, the two proceeded to have sex. Camicazi didn't care; it's not like Hiccup would ever find out since she wasn't a virgin before all this anyway. Camicazi was going to enjoy college alright, and when Hiccup came home for leave, and even when the tour ended, she would hang with him and be the perfect little girlfriend, but for now, no. Camicazi had been holding off for a year, and Hiccup was only proving to her now that he didn't have time for her, so she didn't have to wait around for him. Camicazi was going to do what she wanted while he was away, then when he came back; it would be like nothing ever happened.


	13. Chapter 13

**No Matter What**

Rated: M

Pairings: Hiccup X Astrid

Disclaimer; I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, but I do own the rights to my OC characters!

 **Chapter Thirteen**

=Hiccup's POV=

I ended up getting my two weeks off in September, when it had been thirteen months on tour with only five more to go before it was over. Not the most fabulous setup; I would have preferred to take my leave before then, but I would take what I could get. In truth, I believe my commanding officer, Major Grimborn, had forgotten that I didn't get my leave. I spent those entire two weeks with my dad, godfather, and Camicazi. I did see Astrid, Ruffnut, Heather, Fishlegs, Throk, Tuffnut, and Snotlout too, but not for long periods of time. Camicazi was thrilled to see me, and refused to be away from my side the entire time I was home. I wholeheartedly apologized to her about the day regarding her birthday, that it was just a hard assignment, and I'd been sick on top of it. I told her that I ended up with the flu for six days after that, and she felt guilty for getting upset with me that I hadn't contacted her. Also, I couldn't shake the feeling that she was more clingy, but perhaps it was just the fact she hadn't seen me in over a year other than the Skype video calls. I took her out for a late birthday and anniversary date; we made love too, but that was to be expected.

However, in all that, I never told her why I was a little _different_ from when I'd left in August 2010. It was right, I had changed. Losing your friends in the war, seeing them die, having them pass in your arms even; none of that was easy to cope with or accept. Moreso, they were things you couldn't just forget. Camicazi knew something was wrong with me, but I didn't feel I should burden her with those thoughts. I still suffered some flashbacks about individual deaths, but had it under control. I took it up with Sergeant First Class Grimborn, explaining that I was having trouble with a few things, and he set me up to talk to one of the military specialists about everything. I was told it was a subtle touch of PTSD, and nothing to be concerned about as long as I knew how to handle it. With a little help, I had it taken care of now, but it was still something I didn't want to bother Camicazi with. I didn't feel she needed to know about all those horrific things. Not to mention, I couldn't exactly talk about it with her because it was military operations, and only _some_ of those were cleared to be spoken about with civilians.

Thuggory turned twenty June 2011, and I knew about his mutual breakup with Astrid because he told me about it when he returned after his two weeks were up. Thuggory had been telling me about his ex, Brittany, contacting him and wanting to get back together. I suggested to Thug that he be careful in his decision to take back a woman who left him for them not having sex. When Thuggory was sure Brittany learned her lesson, and understood why he said no sexual intercourse, he wanted to take her back, but had to leave Astrid first. As it turned out, and I was shocked to discover that Astrid had feelings for someone else. I guess it worked out that Thuggory and Astrid had the same dilemma, and the two ended things peacefully, and were staying friends. Cody turned twenty-one January 2012, and Eret was now twenty-three as of September 2011 while I was on my leave.

It was currently February 2012, and by the grace of the Gods; the tour was over! I was turning twenty at the end of this month on the 29th since it actually came this year. What a lucky break that I would be back on my home island before then, so I could celebrate it with my father, Gobber, friends, and Cami, who I desperately hoped would be my fiance by that point. Today was the 12th, and we were leaving Afghanistan next week on the 19th. I couldn't wait, and the best part; I wasn't even telling Cami about the return date. I was going to surprise her, and propose at the same time. I had everything all planned out, and the ring was ready too back in Berkville. I had done some researching while on my leave, and I found the perfect one to ask for her hand in marriage with. The one I selected was personalized with our birthstones, and names on the inside of the band. This was a solid sterling silver ring with an eighteen karat gold wave running through the two heart crystals; one was Peridot, the August stone, and the other was mine; February, which is Amethyst. Along the silver was a pave of clear crystals, and inside the band was _Camicazi & Hiccup_.

I was picking it up when I got back to Archian State, then I would see my dad and Gobber for a bit before going to Camicazi's place to ask her to marry me. I didn't have a speech prepared or nothing, I was just going to show up, knock on her door with a bouquet of roses. I knew she'd likely want to tackle me, so I planned to stop her, then drop to one knee and present her the ring. I was just gonna say; _Will you marry me?_ I hoped she liked it. I knew Camicazi had her own apartment; it was a one bedroom and bathroom apartment for $745 a month, that her parents paid for as long as she kept her grades up in college. Me, I still lived with my dad. I felt like joining the Marines after losing mom and then getting my own place might be too much for him, so I was staying with him a while longer. However, after the engagement happened, Cami and I would probably get our own apartment, or maybe I'd move in with her as she'd suggested it once or twice. I didn't mind if that was the case, her apartment was beautiful on the third floor. Cami's residence was in the city to be closer to college, but I didn't care where we lived since I flew the fastest dragon known to humans. I couldn't wait to be home, and start my future with Camicazi; everything was going to be perfect!

=Normal POV=

 _{A Week Later; February 20_ _th_ _, 2012}_

Hiccup's plane landed on the runway of Fort Archia Military Base, and as soon as they were allowed to clear out, they got off and stood in formation. The whole last week in Afghanistan had been debriefing, and evaluations to make sure the military members who served the past eighteen months were going to be okay to integrate back into civilian life. Hiccup had heard the stories of some people just going awol and killing themselves, or hurting others, so he understood why these checks were performed. And this wasn't even the only one; there would be at least two more over the next six months to ensure there was no late onset of PTSD symptoms. Hiccup cleared his evaluation fine, because even though he had a light touch of the diagnosis, his was controlled because he sought help while still serving his island. Henrik Andersen dismissed them all after thanking them for their service; everyone got told they had a month off before having to report to their former duty stations, and then everyone was able to leave.

"Come on, Toothless," Hiccup smiled broadly as he grabbed his bags after turning in the war gear such as the helmet, goggles, vests, etc. Hiccup only had a long gray bag and backpack now with other uniforms, his tablet, chargers, and what not in them. Toothless warbled, happy to be home as well. Hiccup waved goodbye to his friends, then headed straight for Berkville to see his father and Gobber. _{Berkville}_

Toothless landed as Hiccup greeted Cloudjumper the Stormcutter, which was his mother's dragon. Then there was Thornado the Thunderdrum, who was bonded to Stoick and Grump the Hotburple, who belonged to Gobber. Hiccup hurried inside to see them sitting his dad and godfather watching TV.

"I'm home!" Hiccup announced. Instantly, Stoick and Gobber whipped around and saw Hiccup there. Stoick got up and grabbed his son in a back-breaking bear hug as a welcome home. Hiccup fought through the pain and returned the gesture, though, he couldn't get his arms around his old man; it was the thought that counted.

"Aw, son. I'm so happy to see you," Stoick nearly cried as he kissed the top of Hiccup's head.

"The tour is over now?" Gobber asked as Hiccup nodded when Stoick let him go, then Gobber got his hug in.

"Finally, and don't have to report to the Berkville station for an entire month," Hiccup informed.

"That's good to hear. Have you seen Cami yet?" Stoick questioned.

"Nope, I came right here to see you two. I know you knew I was returning this week, but she doesn't know anything. I'm surprising her, and then asking her to marry me," Hiccup said as their eyes widened a bit. "We've…been together for four years, and after all this, I can't see myself with anyone else,"

"I'm so proud of you, Hiccup, and your mother would be too," Stoick replied.

"Have ya got the ring picked out?" Gobber wondered.

"Yep. I'm picking it up on my way to Cami's place. I'm gonna go see her now, so you might not see me tonight if ya know what I mean," Hiccup chuckled a little.

"Aye, son. But I demand a welcome home/engagement party along with your birthday!" Stoick ordered.

"Yes, sir!" Hiccup saluted. Gobber and Stoick hugged him again, then Hiccup left the house to pick up the ring with Toothless.

 _{Camicazi's Apartment-2:40 pm}_

Hiccup picked up a dozen red roses, and the ring from within the mall. Hell, he was still in his desert cammies uniform, and didn't care. Hiccup landed Toothless silently at Camicazi's apartment, and told him to stay quiet. Hiccup strolled up the walk and saw a dark blue four-door car in the driveway. Hiccup thought that was a little odd since Cami hadn't mentioned anything about having a car; why would she need one when she had Mimic? Either way, Hiccup reached the door and noticed it was cracked open. Had Cami forgotten to shut it all the way? Hiccup pushed it open and looked around; he didn't see his girlfriend at all. Hiccup moved silently through the apartment, even checking the backyard where Mimic was. Strange, why couldn't he find her? Hiccup started walking down the hall to where the bedroom sat; perhaps she was sleeping? It was Monday after all, and her classes were over.

Hiccup heard soft pants, and moaning. Hiccup got close to the door and put his ear up to it. "Ah! Mmm," he listened to Camicazi's voice. Was she masturbating? It's not like he'd be surprised. As far as Camicazi knew, Hiccup was still in Afghanistan. Hiccup knew Cami masturbated when she got horny and he wasn't around, and he could admit to doing the same thing before getting deployed. It wasn't wrong to do, so he wouldn't knock her for it if she was. Hiccup decided that he would just walk in, maybe join in and help her out before proposing. Wouldn't that be something? Hiccup stood up and got himself together as he held the ring in his hand of the arm where the roses were. Hiccup opened the door and walked inside with a smile.

"Guess who is off of his tour, Mil-," Hiccup began to announce as he laid his green eyes on Camicazi who was completely naked laying on her bed with her legs spread and another male over her and his cock buried inside of her. As soon as Camicazi saw him, she gasped and sat up quickly to the surprise of him being home, and there, but horrified that she'd been caught in bed, having sex with someone other than him. Hiccup's eyes had widened in shock, confusing, and betrayal of what he walked in on. Camicazi, the woman he loved and was going to ask to marry him; cheating.


	14. Chapter 14

**No Matter What**

Rated: M

Pairings: Hiccup X Astrid

Disclaimer; I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, but I do own the rights to my OC characters!

 **Chapter Fourteen**

=Normal POV=

Hiccup stood there in the doorway of Camicazi's bedroom having no idea which emotion to feel at the moment. Hiccup purposely didn't tell Camicazi that his tour was over, that he was home, and coming to see her. Cami had no idea Hiccup had been planning to ask for her hand in marriage since the start of the tour in 2010. Hiccup planned to surprise her with all that information, and then he walked in on his girlfriend having sex with another man. Even now as he stood there in his uniform with a bouquet of red roses laying on his right arm, and a light gray box that contained the engagement ring sitting in his palm feeling confused and hurt because of what he'd seen happening between his girlfriend and this other man. Hiccup hadn't said anything or made a move from the spot he was planted in. However, he did see the other guy pull out and get his boxers back on, then stand off to the side. Camicazi was sitting up in the bed, looking at Hiccup, wanting him to say something, but Hiccup didn't have words for _this_.

"Hi-Hiccup? I-It's not-," Camicazi started. Hiccup's eyes fell on the flowers and ring box, which he lifted up just enough for Camicazi to see, and instantly she bit her bottom lip while putting the pieces together that Hiccup came home from his deployment, and was planning to propose. Finally, Hiccup dropped the bouquet to the ground, and closed his eyes tightly before sighing heavily. Hiccup turned away from her, then walked down the hall, and out the door. As soon as he was outside, he whistled for Toothless. At the sound, Toothless bounded over quickly and saw his rider's expression. Toothless warbled sadly as Hiccup rubbed his head.

"Come on, Toothless. Take me home, bud, please?" Hiccup asked as his tone was beginning to crack. Toothless turned for Hiccup to get on his back.

"Hiccup! Hiccup, please don't leave! Please?!" Camicazi pleaded through her tears. Hiccup looked at her for only a moment; he saw that she was wearing her light blue silk bathrobe. Hiccup gave a half chuckle before turning his head away. Toothless shot Camicazi a glare to stay away from Hiccup, then the Night Fury shot into the sky back towards Berkville. _'Gods, what have I done…'_ Camicazi thought.

"So are we finishing since the big secret is out?" asked Harald, the man she'd been cheating on Hiccup with. Camicazi glared at him as he took the hint to get in his car, then leave. Camicazi rushed into her apartment, got dressed, then got on Mimic before following after Hiccup.

 _{Berkville-Haddock Household}_

Toothless landed in the backyard as Hiccup got off his back, and rubbed his head gently.

"Thanks, Toothless," Hiccup said softly before walking into the house through the back porch sliding door. Instantly, Gobber and Stoick saw him home so early, and knew something was wrong.

"Hiccup?" Gobber asked.

"Son, what happened?" Stoick was on his feet right away and at Hiccup's side. Of course, Hiccup didn't say anything; he was still processing what he'd walked into Camicazi's room to see happening. Hiccup couldn't believe it, and he wished it was just a nightmare, but there was no way it could be with how much this hurt. Hiccup took a deep breath, and looked down at the ring box still in his hand.

"Did…Camicazi turn down your proposal?" Gobber pushed a little.

"No. No, because I never asked," Hiccup said in a voice that was barely above a whisper.

"Hiccup, tell me what happened, please, son?" Stoick put his hands on Hiccup's shoulders. Hiccup looked at his father, showing the tears that were threatening to spill over. Before Hiccup could tell them anything, Camicazi rushed through the door and into the living room.

"Hiccup, please. It's not…what you think," Camicazi said quickly. Stoick moved aside when Hiccup's eyes turned to a glare.

"Not what I think? That I caught you cheating on me?" Hiccup asked as Camicazi bit back a little while Stoick and Gobber's eyes widened some. "How about what I saw then? Are you going to stand there and tell me I didn't see you laying on your bed, having sex with another male? Are you going to lie to my face?" Hiccup continued.

"No," Camicazi looked down. "No, I won't lie to you, Hiccup. Yes, I was having sex with someone else," she said quietly.

"Why?" Hiccup questioned.

"I thought…you were still on your tour, and…I've been…miserable without you home. I-It was…just a moment of weakness. A-And the guy who you saw was just my partner for a class; he came over so we could work on something for a project. I was upset about not hearing from you all week, a-and he got in my head. I'm sorry, Hiccup, I really am. Please, forgive me?" Camicazi reached for his hand, but Hiccup pulled back.

"You expect me to believe that you were so upset you let another male get into your head and coax you into having sex with him to stop what…Missing me?" Hiccup inquired. Camicazi looked down again, fiddling with her fingers a little. "Was this a one-time thing?"

"Yes. It only happened this once," Camicazi replied. However, Hiccup noticed that Camicazi wasn't making eye contact with him.

"You're lying. I know when you do because you won't look me in the eye," Hiccup stated. "Have you cheated on me more than once? Tell me the truth; I think you owe me that much,"

"I-I've been…cheating on you since the night of my birthday," Camicazi dropped her arms in shame. Hiccup stepped back once, eyes widening in shock.

"Y-You've been…sleeping with another guy since…your birthday? That was six months ago, Camicazi! And on our fucking four-year anniversary too? Why? Why would you do this me?!" Hiccup yelled now.

"I'm sorry, okay! I'm sorry, Hiccup. I was…so upset that day because you only talked to me for a few minutes, then got all mad, saying you didn't feel good and left. It was our anniversary, and my birthday. I just thought that…maybe you'd want to spend more time talking to me since you'd been gone for twelve months, and I barely got to speak to you," Camicazi explained quickly.

"I got mad because you were trying to get me to have phone sex with you! I said no, and you kept pushing! And I didn't feel well that night, alright? I ended up sick with the flu for six days, and I told you that. Want me to call up Thug, Eret, or Cody, have them tell you how ill I was? I'm sorry that I didn't have time to talk much, Cami. I was deployed in Afghanistan; a Gods damn war zone. I had to be ready in a heartbeat to go out and push back enemies, or do a mission, and all those other things that our military does to keep our home safe! You're telling me that because I refused to have phone sex with you while deployed, and that I was sick, you decided to go off and cheat on me!?" Hiccup raged.

Camicazi flinched at his anger, and bit her bottom lip, nodding to him because she knew lying would only make him angrier. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I know how busy you were, and I just…I always waited around for you, and sometimes you didn't even call or reply to messages. I asked so many times if you were okay, and you wouldn't talk to me. I-I figured that if I wasn't first in your life, making time for me…then I wouldn't…put you first in mine. I was wrong, I know that,"

"You want to know what was wrong with me that I never told you about? I was mourning my friends who passed away in these last eighteen months," Hiccup informed as Camicazi gasped a bit. "I've lost friends. I've seen teammates die before my eyes, I've had some pass in my arms! I'm sorry if I didn't want to tell you all that and burden you with it. Not to mention that some things I couldn't fucking say because it was against military laws! Alright, now you know why I wasn't in the mood to talk a lot of times. Why I seemed down and uninterested. It's because in my company alone; we lost twenty or so comrades, and some dragons too. So there, that's why I was so moody, distracted, distanced, and whatever else you want to name off. I was mourning. Yeah, I am different than I used to be; war changes people, but my feelings and loyalties to you never faltered, Cami!"

"Please give me another chance? Please? I'll do anything," Camicazi said desperately.

"I can't, Camicazi. You cheated on me on what was supposed to be a day where we reminisced about the face we've been together for four years. What would be five in six months. And then even after I came home for two weeks; you didn't tell me that you were unfaithful to me. You passed it off like nothing happened, and continued to do it after I left. I got home a little over two hours ago from an eighteen-month deployment, rushed to pick up a gift for you that I've had specially made, and went to your place to surprise you that I was home," Hiccup said as he held up the ring box, and opened it.

"To get down on one knee, and ask you if you'd marry me. I was confident, that thirty minutes ago that I didn't want to spend my life with anyone but the woman who has stuck by me, and supported my decisions," he continued while the box after seeing the tears in her eyes. The overwhelming shock that Hiccup planned to propose to her. Hiccup clenched the case for the ring tightly in his hand. "Then I found you in bed with another man. And have learned that you've been doing this for six months because you didn't like that I couldn't give you all my time while I was on tour. I can see now, that four years means nothing to you as it did for me," Hiccup lowered his head.

"Hiccup, no. It means everything to me!" Camicazi protested.

"No, it doesn't because you were quick to assume that you didn't take priority in my life because I got busy with work. The job I do to protect the people I care about, to make the money that would support a home and family one day. You got mad and upset that I wouldn't tell what was wrong because I didn't want you to have those types of images; friends dying before your eyes, or in your arms. Because I wanted to spare you that pain, but as it apparently turns out, all I did was push you into the arms of someone else and get myself hurt. Tell me something, Cami. If I hadn't shown up out of the blue, and caught you; would you still be doing it with him? Or when I came home; would you have continued to lie to me?"

Camicazi looked down, tears falling still. "Yes," she replied.

"As I said; four years means nothing to you as it did to me. Truth for you; I've been planning to ask for your hand in marriage since November 26th, 2010. Thanksgiving Day when I was feeling sick and you told me all that bullshit about supporting me. I used my two-week leave to find the perfect ring, and have it personalized with our birthstones and engraved names on the inside. And I spent my whole last week getting ready for today, and it was all for a girl who was lied and was unfaithful to me. In a way, I'm glad I saw what I did because Odin knows that I would have gotten myself married to someone who didn't even love me enough to return the loyalty and love I gave her. We're over, Camicazi. And now, I would like for you to leave," Hiccup stated.

"Hiccup, no, please? W-We can start over, put all this…behind us. Please, just give me another chance to prove that I love you?" Camicazi asked.

"No. Leave, please. You've hurt me enough already," Hiccup turned his head from her.

"I-I'm not leaving," Camicazi said firmly, trying not to cry.

"Then I will," Hiccup walked past her towards his room; he packed up some clothes, his tablet, chargers, and anything else he might need, then came out with his bag over his shoulder. "Perhaps with time I can forgive you, but I will never forget, and we will never be together again. Goodbye, Camicazi," after that, Hiccup went out back, and jumped into Toothless's saddle as the dragon took off out of sight at top speed. Camicazi stood there, tears streaming down her cheeks as Stoick led her out of the house and to her dragon.

"I can't believe you'd hurt my son like this, Camicazi. It's best for you to go now," Stoick told her. No longer have a choice, Camicazi left the Haddock house as Stoick closed the door, and plopped on the couch. Gobber sat beside him.

"Don't worry. Hiccup will be alright; he's just gonna need some time, Stoick," Gobber patted Stoick's back. The old man sighed, nodding. Hiccup just got back from the war, and now he was gone again because of Camicazi cheating on him, and Hiccup had to see it first hand. With Hiccup and Toothless while flying, Hiccup didn't know where to go, but he wanted to be alone. Landing later at a motel, Hiccup got himself a room that had an open stable for Toothless, and connected the two areas by a window, Hiccup sat on the bed in silence. Finally, the tears that had been in his eyes since getting home after seeing Cami with another man fell down from his eyes, and he cried; holding no limits to the pain of his heart being broken by the woman he loved.


	15. Chapter 15

**No Matter What**

Rated: M

Pairings: Hiccup X Astrid

Disclaimer; I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, but I do own the rights to my OC characters!

 **Chapter Fifteen**

=Normal POV=

It had been a week since Hiccup was left heartbroken by Camicazi on the day he got home from his eighteen-month tour of duty, then went to her apartment to propose; only to find that she was in bed with someone else. After the argument at his father's house, Hiccup learned that Camicazi had been cheating since the night of her nineteenth birthday in August 2010, which was also their four-year anniversary of dating, and Camicazi had only done it because she assumed she wasn't first in Hiccup's life. The pain of knowing that was excruciating, and Hiccup refused to stay in Camicazi's presence afterward; that's why he left with Toothless, and got himself a motel room. Hiccup's twentieth birthday was on Wednesday, but today was Sunday the 26th, and he was still at the motel. Hiccup had let his father and Gobber know where he was so they wouldn't panic about him taking off in a sad state of mind. Yet, Hiccup asked to be alone, and his father and godfather were happy to respect that as long as Hiccup promised to check in once a day with one of them.

Hiccup mostly stayed in the room, but he would go out for a fly with Toothless at night when he knew nobody could see him in the dark sky. Hiccup would wear all dark colors, and the flight took his mind off things for a bit. However, when he was back in the motel, it would come back and he'd be miserable again. Hiccup hated how much it hurt to know Camicazi was unfaithful to him over everything he went through in Afghanistan, but a small dose of comfort resided in the fact that at least he caught Cami cheating, and now, he couldn't be lied to again. Hiccup had blocked Cami's number from calling and texting him. Also, he removed her from Skype, and set her e-mail to the _spam_ folder so he wouldn't have to see it. Today was one of those ones where he just wanted to lay on the bed and try to relax. Much to his dismay, there was a knock on the door. Hiccup sighed as he got up and turned the handle. Hiccup laid eyes on Thuggory, Eret, and Cody standing there.

"Your dad told us you'd be here," Cody said.

"We went by to see if you were okay because you haven't been answering any messages," Eret informed next.

"Gobber and your father wouldn't say what happened to make you ghost on everyone, they said we'd have to ask you," Thuggory mentioned. Hiccup sighed as he moved out of the way and motioned for them to come into the room. The three friends sat down somewhere, then Hiccup closed his eyes.

"You three know that I planned to ask Camicazi to marry me when I finally stepped foot on island soil. Well, I got there with a dozen roses, and the ring, then I found her in bed with another guy," Hiccup said. Eret, Thuggory, and Cody gasped, their eyes widening in shock. "And when I asked how many times she had cheated, she told me since her birthday and our four-year anniversary. I questioned why, and her reason was that she assumed I didn't have time for her anymore. That…I had changed, was distant, and seemed uninterested all the time when we talked. I told her that it was because of all the deaths, that I didn't want to burden her with. Of course, after she found that out, she felt guilty. I told her to leave, and she wouldn't. I decided to go instead, and I've been here since," he explained.

"Why didn't you come find one of us, Hic?" Cody inquired.

"I don't know. I guess I knew you all had your own lives, and we'd just gotten home. All that aside, I wanted to be alone for a bit," Hiccup shrugged as he sat on the edge of the bed with his arms draped over his thighs, and his head down.

"Hiccup, you're our best friend. Regardless of just getting back or not, you can always come to us," Thuggory sat next to him.

"I know that, Thug, but come on. You all have girlfriends, and families too. I didn't want to intrude on anyone's homecoming. As I said, I wanted to be alone to think about how to deal with this," Hiccup enlightened.

"That doesn't matter to us. If you need a place to go, a shoulder to cry on, or just someone to listen; we are here for you," Eret reminded.

"Thanks, guys. I appreciate it," Hiccup tried to smile.

"Anytime," Cody nodded. "Have you figured out what you're gonna do?"

"Well, I can't be with her. If she had…cheated once in a drunken stupor, or told me what she did; maybe I could forgive it after some time. But this, actively knowing what she was doing because she chose to do it? Added to the fact that she cheated on me before my two-week leave, and acted like nothing happened, then continued to sleep with someone else after I left? No. I can't…forgive that. I told her before I went last week, that perhaps I can forgive what she's done, but I'll never forget, and also that there would never be an _us_ again," Hiccup informed softly.

"What did you do with the ring?" Thuggory inquired.

"Over there in my bag. I can't get pawn it, or give it back because it was custom made. And it seems like a waste to throw it away," Hiccup sighed.

"You could pawn it to a jewelry store, Hiccup. They could replace the band to remove the names, and change out the stones on top. There is no sense in keeping it, and if you ever got with someone else to the point of asking for their hand, you wouldn't want to propose with a ring you were willing to give your ex," Eret stated.

"Yeah, I suppose that's true. I don't know if I'll ever get back to where I was with Camicazi, guys. You know I loved her with my everything, and she just threw it all away on…what? An assumption that I didn't care about her? That she didn't…take priority in my life? Did…joining the Marines do this? That's…what it feels like," Hiccup closed his eyes.

"Hiccup, don't do that. Don't go beating yourself up about your choices. You joined the military because you wanted to follow in your dad's and godfather's feet. Cami knew that, and she told you she supported it," Cody put a hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah, you didn't do anything wrong. Camicazi lied to you, man," Eret added in.

"Come on, Hic. And don't put yourself in the mindset that you can't be happy because of this. The way I see it, she just isn't the one for you. I'm sure there is someone out there who will support your choices, and prove it," Cody told him.

"Someone who will love you unconditionally, and remain faithful, honest," Eret smiled.

"Someone who will be there, and give you their full heart no matter what," Thuggory finished. Hiccup looked at them, and for the first time in a week, he gave a genuine smile.

"Thanks for cheering me up," Hiccup responded.

"It's what friends do. So, come on. Let's get you set up with one of us for a while until you decide what you want to do next. I assume you're staying away from your dad's because Cami keeps coming around?" Thuggory asked. Hiccup nodded.

"Mmhm. Dad messaged me a few days ago saying that she is flying over once a day trying to see if I'm there," Hiccup confirmed.

"Well, Dahlia and I live together, but we have a spare room," Eret stated.

"But you two are also engaged, and planning your wedding for Fall of this year, Eret," Hiccup chuckled a little. "I can't step in on that, and Cody, you live with Kirsten at her place now,"

"Well, you got me, Hic. Britt and I don't live together, we're still taking things slow because of the past. However, I got a one bedroom with a pullout bed inside the couch," Thuggory smiled. "Stay with me,"

"Alright, but only until I find my own place." Hiccup remarked.

"Works for me," Thuggory beamed as he put his arm around Hiccup's shoulders for a hug. After that, the boys helped Hiccup pack up his things, then turn the key in at the courtesy desk before they grabbed their dragons and went to Thuggory's apartment. Once there in Meatsfield, Hiccup got settled in the living room, and thanked his friends again for being there for him. For now, Hiccup would stay with Thuggory, but he planned to find his own apartment to live in. All this going on, and he would be returning to work in three weeks, and he needed to recover from the heartbreak still. Hiccup was going to be a busy guy, but it would be worth it to get back to work because it'd be a distraction. Also, getting his own place could signify that he was starting over, a chance to heal and move forward in life.

 _{Seven Weeks Later; April 2012}_

Hiccup was officially twenty-years-old and the proud owner of a first floor one bedroom apartment in Arc City. And thankfully because his apartment was more South; he could still report to the Berkville Military Base for work. Hiccup hadn't wanted to do much for his birthday, but Eret, Cody, and Thuggory threw something together for him, and invited his father and Gobber to come too. April also marked two months since the breakup with Camicazi that Hiccup was still struggling to accept and cope with. Nobody blamed him though; the guy spent his entire deployment planning to propose to a girl he was madly in love with, only to find out she had been cheating on him over a bullshit assumption. Hiccup knew things were over with Cami, but that didn't make the pain any less challenging to deal with. Hiccup has pawned the ring and got almost half back of what he paid for it in the first place. Hiccup took things slow with removing old memories regarding him and Camicazi.

It started with deleting pictures of them together, then tossing old gifts, and finally changing his relationship status on his social media account. Hiccup made sure to block Cami on there too, so she couldn't contact him. Even with all that done; he had not recovered from what she did, and that was to be expected as they had been together for four years, and she was unfaithful on their anniversary and six months more after that. Returning to work had helped out a great deal because he was busy, and distracted. The friends helped Hiccup find an apartment, and assisted him in moving in as well. The place Hiccup lived now was in an apartment complex on the first floor. This compound was called Dreki Homes, and it had a total of seven buildings, one of which was the central office. Everything else was apartments. Dreki Homes also had a gym, pool, and stables for dragon owners. Hiccup's apartment was on the first level of a four-story building labeled as **A**.

The layout was simple and two ways to get inside; one from the entrance to the building and walking down a hall, or because he was on the first floor, Hiccup had access to his apartment from the stable and patio entry. Hiccup was the only one who used the outside way in, but for anyone else, they would have to be buzzed into the building. From this point there were eight doors, four on each side. Hiccup's was in A-2 on the right after being let in; the first thing someone would see is the open concept kitchen. The stable/patio entrance would bring a guest in through the sliding glass doors connecting to the living room. It was a beautiful place, and he only paid $925.00 per month, which included his rent, heat, electricity, and boarding for Toothless too. Stoick, Gobber, Eret, Cody, and Thuggory helped Hiccup furnish the apartment, and unpack to get settled in. Hiccup also made sure the military got his change of address, and now Hiccup spent his days working, flying Toothless, and sitting at home trying to pick up the pieces of his broken heart because of Camicazi's betrayal.


	16. Chapter 16

**No Matter What**

Rated: M

Pairings: Hiccup X Astrid

Disclaimer; I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, but I do own the rights to my OC characters!

 **Chapter Sixteen**

=Astrid's POV=

A lot has happened since the evening that Thuggory and I broke up in May 2011. I didn't make the team for the Archian State Racing League, so now, I was training harder than ever before while also working my butt off at a fancy restaurant in the city. After graduating High School, I knew I'd need a more stable job. My Uncle Finn told me about a place right by him that was hiring. I decided to move out of my parent's home, and in with my uncle so I'd be closer to work after I had been given the job. I worked five nights a week from 3 pm to 10 pm, I was usually back to my uncle's by 11 pm, sometimes a bit later depending on how busy it got. My duties ranged from waitressing, bussing, and hostess; I didn't care because I loved it. Occasionally, I would work the sixth night if they needed me. I certainly didn't mind the extra hours. I spent my days cleaning up my uncle's house, or running errands for him. I always got a flight in with Stormfly, and we worked on some training too. I wanted to be ready for the next tryouts session. I didn't know when it would be, so I had to be prepared for anything. The first time I learned of when the day would be by e-mail, but that was because I was on a list.

This document I filled out had your necessary information, then address, e-mail, phone number, and even social media because they posted information on their page. So I guess I would get informed by one of those methods of contact. Thuggory and I still talked every day, and if not that, always twice a week just to see how things were going in each other's lives. Thuggory tells me how his relationship with Brittany is, or sometimes work-related subjects. I knew that Thuggory, Eret, Cody, and Hiccup were home from their tour; Thuggory texted me on the 21st of February with; **We're finally back on the island! -Thug**. I replied that I was happy they were home, and to enjoy the time off. It was April 2012 now; I knew Hiccup was twenty, and so was I because my birthday was last month. Hiccup's was nine days after he got home from Afghanistan; that must have been a sweet treat for him. I assumed Camicazi was always with him now since my friends and I barely heard from her. I couldn't blame the girl, she hadn't seen her boyfriend in eighteen months minus the two weeks he was home on leave in September 2011. I ran into him a few times, it was good to see him, but I still worried if he was okay.

I couldn't explain why I felt like something was wrong, but it ran strong through me. Hiccup was smiling, laughing, happy. And yet, I felt as if Hiccup was wearing a mask that only I was able to see through. Thuggory told me about some of the situations that happened overseas; never anything in explicit detail, but enough to get the message across. I knew that the Marines had seen their fellow comrades die in battle, or even in their arms. Thuggory mentioned one death being particularly hard for Hiccup because his friend passed away in his arms when they were only ten minutes from the Nox base. I couldn't imagine what that pain felt like, and I didn't want to either. Gods bless those warriors for being as strong as they are. Among other updates; Heather and Fishlegs were getting married July 28th, 2012. Only three months away, and I was Heather's Maid of Honor. I would be wearing a silver one shoulder strap knee-high dress with high heel sandals to match. It was to be a tiny wedding with the immediate family of the bride and groom, then friends.

Tuffnut was in a serious relationship with a woman named Stilsta Ostberg; she had long brown hair and hazel eyes. The two of them have been dating since Valentines Day this year, 2012. Snotlout was dating a woman named Asta Holgerson; blonde hair and green eyes, and as I've come to discover recently; this woman is Alvin Ogglebert's niece. In case you don't remember, Alvin Ogglebert is the headmaster of Berkian Dragon Academy. I know they got together in September 2011. Throk and Ruffnut were doing great; they had their own apartment now, and got engaged over Christmas 2011. As far as I knew they were planning their wedding for sometime in the Spring of 2013, so perhaps around this time next year. Currently, it was the month of April in the year 2012. For Adelaide, Snotlout's little sister; she was now seventeen and going to be a Senior come September this year. I believe she has a crush, but nothing more than that on this one guy in her dragon training class.

I wasn't dating anyone because I still yearned for Hiccup, and I couldn't get him out of my head. I didn't know why either! Hiccup was with Cami, and I would never get to be with him. I needed to get over this crush on him; for Odin's sake I've had it since November 2009 when I met him in person! Ever since our hands touched, it was like lightning through my body. Now, just the thought of him gives me butterflies. There had to be a reason I was still holding onto the idea of this guy; I just didn't know what it was or why. However, I know today, I was finally meeting up with my friends! We hadn't seen one another since March for my birthday; the rest of the time was us texting. Our agreed upon place was the park, and why not? It was beautiful outside!

"Astrid!" I heard Ruffnut call me over while I was walking down the path.

"Hey!" I ran over with Stormfly following me. I hugged Ruffnut first, then the others before sitting down in the grass.

"I wonder where Cami is; we invited her," Heather mentioned.

"Well, Hiccup got home two months ago; she's probably with him," Throk chuckled. I did too, then sighed.

"Hey, you okay?" Snotlout asked.

"Hm? Yeah," I nodded to him.

"You miss him, don't you?" Ruffnut asked. I blinked quickly. "Thuggory," Okay, that made much more sense. I was worried they figured out that I like Hiccup.

"Nah. We're still good friends even though we broke up," I replied.

"Oh, look! It's Cami and Mimic!" Fishlegs pointed out. I watch Camicazi's Changewing land, then the nineteen-year-old hurried over in a panic.

"Have any of you seen Hiccup?" Camicazi asked quickly, panting.

"No, we thought he was with you," Tuffnut mentioned.

"I know the tour is over and he's back, but…I haven't seen him. Stoick and Gobber say he checks in once or twice a week, but they don't know where he is either," Camicazi cried a little.

"Have you tried any of his friends?" Heather inquired.

"I don't have their numbers," Camicazi looked down. "I'm worried about him; h-he didn't have an easy time while deployed, and I'm scared he could be hurt or upset. Like that…PTSD stuff that military people get after the war," she panicked.

"Yeah, that's some pretty serious stuff if left untreated," Snotlout mentioned as Adelaide frowned with a nod. Of course, this only made Camicazi worry more as she began to cry.

"I'll call Thuggory and see if he's seen him," I said while getting my phone.

"Oh, thank you, Astrid. You're the best friend ever," Camicazi stated as I dialed Thuggory, and hoped he could answer. "Thuggory, hi," I greeted after he picked up.

" _Astrid? To what do I owe the pleasure of the call on this Friday afternoon_?" Thuggory inquired to me after I put him on speakerphone.

"Well, to be honest; I'm looking for Hiccup. You're on the speaker by the way. Have you seen him?" I wondered.

" _Uh, every day I do. He's sitting right next to me; we're at work. Well, lunch break anyway. Why you looking for him?"_ Thuggory questioned.

"Um, Camicazi is at the park with our friends right now. She said that she knows the tour is over, but hasn't seen Hiccup at all. Also that his dad and godfather say he's checked in but they don't know where he is either. Cami said she's worried that's suffering from PTSD because of things that happened overseas," I informed. The line suddenly went quiet.

" _Astrid, take me off speakerphone,"_ Thuggory stated in a firm tone. I blinked a little, then did as he asked.

"Okay, you're off now. What's…going on?" I mentioned curiously. At that moment, Thuggory began to explain to me that Hiccup hasn't talked to Camicazi since the day he got home from the tour because they were broken up and due to the fact that Camicazi cheated on Hiccup with someone else. I was appalled! Why was Cami coming here and lying to us about Hiccup's whereabouts when she damn well knew why Hiccup wouldn't speak to her?! When Thuggory finished, I took a moment before speaking. "Don't worry, I'll take care of it," I said, and then hung up the phone.

"Thank you so mu-," Camicazi started, but I glared at her.

"Save it, Cami," I retorted coldly as she stopped quickly, looking shocked at my tone. "How dare you come here and lie to my friends and me about the situation?"

"I-I don't know what you're talking about, Astrid," Camicazi stammered a but.

"That's dragon dung! I know what you did to Hiccup," I sneered angrily.

"What is going on?" Throk asked.

"Camicazi and Hiccup are broken up, and have been since February 20th this year when Hiccup came home from war and found in bed with another guy!" I told them as their eyes widened and looked at her. "Hiccup won't talk to her because they aren't together anymore; she broke his heart all because she didn't like the fact that Hiccup was busy on deployment, and couldn't talk to her a lot,"

"Cami, is this…true?" Heather wondered.

"I-I only cheated on him once. I-I was drunk at a party, and not thinking right," Camicazi said quickly. I refused to let her lie to my friends, and I didn't care if I got into trouble for this either. I stared her down, then slapped her across the face. Camicazi brought a hand to her cheek as she looked at me slowly, and in shock.

"Don't you dare lie to my friends like you lied to Hiccup, either! You got mad that Hiccup was sick, and wouldn't tell you about losing his friends in war; that he didn't want to burden you with all he had to see, and you went off and slept with someone else on your birthday, and what was your four-year anniversary with Hiccup! Even after he went back when leave was over, you continued to be unfaithful to him! Hiccup went to your house to propose to you! To ask you to be his wife, and even though he _JUST_ came home from war, he walked in on the sight of you fucking someone else!" I screamed at her.

Camicazi bit back with tears in her eyes. "Hiccup didn't vanish; he went somewhere you couldn't find him. Places you can't access to see him. You know what you did, and why you can't contact him. Yet, you insisted on coming here to use us to get information! Some friend you are, and right now, I think I'm gonna go. You all can hang with her if you want, but I won't be lied to or used because she fucked up," I stated coldly as I whistled for Stormfly, then jumped on her back before taking off. I couldn't believe the nerve of Camicazi. However, as angry as I was; my concern was Hiccup. It made sense now, or at least, it was starting to. The reason I couldn't stop thinking about Hiccup was because I felt like something was wrong, and I was right all this time. Hiccup had been deeply hurt by Camicazi, and his sudden disappearance from everyone's lives was because he needed time to heal. My heart went out to him; fresh home from war and having to see the woman you love with another man? How could anything just recover from that. I didn't blame Hiccup for ghosting on everyone, and all I was doing now was praying for the chance to get to see him and make sure he was doing alright.


	17. Chapter 17

**No Matter What**

Rated: M

Pairings: Hiccup X Astrid

Disclaimer; I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, but I do own the rights to my OC characters!

 **Chapter Seventeen**

=Hiccup's POV=

 _{May 2012}_

I silently walked the pathways of Archian Park with Toothless while in thought about many things. It had been three months since the break up with Camicazi, and sadly, it still hurt as much as it did that day it happened. I had been told so many times that it wouldn't bother me forever, but how long did I have to suffer this pain before it stopped hurting? Maybe it only cut deep this much because last month in April, Thuggory informed me that Camicazi used Astrid, Heather, Throk, Ruffnut, Snotlout, Adelaide, Tuffnut, and Fishlegs to locate me? Or perhaps it had to do with the fact Camicazi and I were together for four years, and she threw it all away to have sex with something else because I was busy fighting in the war and couldn't give her all of my time. I didn't know anymore, but I felt like it was firmly related to those two things as to why it still pained me after so much time had passed. When Thuggory began to tell Astrid what happened; I walked away and went outside to get some fresh air. I assumed that Astrid knew now about Camicazi's unfaithfulness to me, and why I was purposely avoiding her at all costs. I had turned my Skype off, and barely checked my e-mail. I turned off notifications to my profile page, and I didn't go on anymore.

I didn't know if Astrid told anyone else about the situation, but I suppose it didn't matter if she did or didn't. The truth would come out sooner or later when Camicazi and I weren't seen together. I didn't intend on avoiding her forever, just until I got over her. Right now, I didn't know how long that would take. I think what hurts the most is knowing that Camicazi went as far as lying to her friends to find me when she understood why I wouldn't talk to her. Thuggory told me that Astrid said not to worry, and I didn't know what that meant, but I figured it had something to do with Astrid was going to give Camicazi a piece of her mind for lying and using them to find me. I still talked to Gobber and my dad, they came over at least once a week to see how I was doing. I saw Cody, Eret, and Thuggory every day at work. That was my day in a nutshell; go to work, take a flight with Toothless, eat my three meals a day, sometimes a snack, then get home and sit around trying to keep my mind off Cami. Today, I decided to go for a walk in the park with my dragon. I don't know why, but I think it had something to do with the fact my mom loved the outdoors, and being outside reminded me of her; made me feel closer to her. I sighed now; it felt like I'd never get over Camicazi.

"Hiccup?" I heard a familiar female voice say. I snapped out of my thoughts and looked behind me to see Astrid there with her dragon, Stormfly.

"Hey, Astrid," I replied softly.

"I wasn't sure if it was you or not," Astrid smiled a bit.

"You know someone else with a Night Fury?" I inquired.

Astrid laughed a little. "I suppose not. You looked deep in thought, I wasn't sure if I should bother you or not,"

"It's okay. I'm just wandering aimlessly trying not to think about _her_ ," I admitted.

"Rome wasn't built in a day, Hiccup. And getting over your ex doesn't happen that fast either," Astrid offered.

"Yeah, I guess. What brings you out to these parts?" I asked.

"Enjoying the day with Stormfly," Astrid responded.

"She's a beauty," I said with my hand out as Stormfly sniffed it a few times, then squawked and let Hiccup pet her, and scratch under her chin.

"I've never seen her take to anyone besides family so easy," Astrid informed.

"I have a thing with dragons," I shrugged. It was true, there hasn't been one dragon I've met that doesn't take a liking to me almost instantly.

"I can see that," Astrid giggled some. Toothless huffed at me as I looked over.

"What?" I asked him as he nudged against my arm. "Oh, don't be jealous. You know I love you, bud," I reminded as he licked the side of my face next. "Ugh, you know that doesn't wash out," I muttered trying to wipe it off. I heard Astrid trying not to laugh at me. "Is this amusing to you?"

"Yeah, a little," Astrid replied. "I've never seen a Night Fury besides yours, and all the times you used to come to the school; Toothless was in the stables. I suppose I just wanna know more about him. Would you…maybe want to join me for lunch? And you can tell me about Toothless?" Astrid inquired. She was asking me to lunch? Well, it's not like I was taken anymore, so why not?

"Sure, I was getting kind'a hungry anyway," I agreed as she smiled and motioned for me to follow after she got on her dragon. I got on Toothless, and we were off, heading towards wherever she was leading us.

=Normal POV=

Astrid led Hiccup to a place called The Dragoon's Cove. Upon landing, Hiccup and Astrid dismounted their dragons, then set them up in the stables with some fish and water. Afterward, Hiccup and Astrid made their way inside and got a table for two, which was a small booth along the far wall.

"So, why here?" Hiccup asked.

"There's my favorite niece," came a happy male voice.

"I'm your only niece, Uncle Finn," Astrid smiled as the male kissed her forehead.

"That's why you're the favorite. Who is your friend?" the man, Finn, asked.

"This is Hiccup Haddock; we ran into one another at the park, then decided we were hungry and to get some lunch," Astrid explained.

"Ah! Well, it's nice to meet you, Hiccup. I'm Finn Hofferson, Astrid's uncle," Finn introduced.

"Pleasure to make your acquaintance, sir," Hiccup replied shaking his hand. After that, Finn placed down to menus, chips with some dip, and poured water.

"I'll give you a few minutes to decide," Finn mentioned before walking off.

"I chose this place because my uncle works here. He's an assistant manager, and always happy to see me. I'm just glad he didn't give you the stare," Astrid laughed a bit.

"The stare?" Hiccup questioned arching a brow.

"When Thug and I were dating, I brought him here and introduced him as my boyfriend to my uncle, who stared him down and warned him not to hurt me because he could make his death look like an accident," Astrid explained as Hiccup fought laughing a bit. "I assume you didn't get the stared because my uncle knows I'm not seeing anyone right now, otherwise, he may have thought you were my boyfriend,"

"I guess it's a good thing that you and Thuggory broke up on good terms then," Hiccup stated.

"Right?" Astrid said. "Its good to see you again, Hiccup. I know we don't talk a lot because of life or whatever, but I still see you as a friend,"

"Well, I kind of ghosted on everyone after the breakup. I wanted to be alone, and now doing that makes me more miserable," Hiccup admitted. "I know Thug told you what happened last month,"

"Only because I called him to look for you at Camicazi's request; she insisted you just disappeared, and was worried you were suffering from PTSD. I hadn't known about the breakup before calling Thuggory. And the others know too now because I scolded Camicazi for lying to us," Astrid informed.

"It's okay. I know it would have come out eventually. What did you say to her? Thuggory noted that before you got off the phone you told him not to worry because you'd take care of it," Hiccup wondered curiously.

Astrid stiffened a bit, then sighed and began to tell him about the scolding. "Oh, and I, uh, slapped her across the face when she lied about how many times she cheated on you,"

Hiccup blinked a few times. Astrid had slapped Camicazi? "I appreciate what you did, Astrid. Maybe not the slapping, but for yelling at her about the lying. For me to know she pulled that, it only makes it hurt more to know that maybe I never really knew her at all," he looked down.

"Hiccup, don't beat yourself up over this. It's not your fault," Astrid tried.

"Why does it feel like it is? Cami did all those things because-," Hiccup started.

"Because she didn't like the fact you were deployed and she couldn't have you all the time, Hiccup. You graduated a year early, and joined the Marines. Camicazi always knew your plans to be a Marine, didn't she?" Astrid asked as Hiccup nodded. "Well, then she knew you could get deployed too. You gave her a two-month warning that you'd be leaving, and you did your best to stay in contact with her while you were overseas. You didn't tell her what you'd seen and experienced there because you didn't want her to have to imagine those horrible things, and instead of being grateful to you, she cheated. Hiccup, you didn't do anything wrong. Camicazi was unfaithful because she wanted to be, and that can be proven by the fact she slept with someone else, you came home, left again, then she continued to cheat," Astrid said.

"It just…hurts so much, Astrid. Everything I do reminds me of her, and nobody understands how this feels for me. I got home from war, said hi to Gobber and dad, then left to see her. I was…going to propose to her, something I planned since the three-month mark of being there. It bothers me to know that she said that if I hadn't shown up, she would have kept doing it; continued to cheat," Hiccup closed his eyes tightly.

"I know it hurts, Hiccup. I know how it feels to care about someone who doesn't feel the same. I've never been cheated on, or been in your situation, but I know it hurts you. You can't hold all this pain inside, you have to talk about it, to let it hurt. The only way to move on is to accept what happened, stop questioning, and after all that, you'll rise back up and continue your life while all that pain is left in the past as you move into the future," Astrid advised.

"That sounds easier than it actually is. My day is spent…working, flying Toothless, then sitting at home," Hiccup sighed.

"Find something else to distract yourself with. Fly Toothless, go running, draw, sing, hang out with friends. Hell, friggin' lock yourself in your bedroom, throw on some porn, and masturbate," Astrid said as Hiccup arched a brow at her. "Hey, don't look at me that way. Everyone is guilty of doing it at some point in their lives,"

"Including you?" Hiccup asked.

Astrid stopped a moment, then sighed. "Yes, even me on rare occasions where I'm bored as shit and know that I'm gonna be alone. Regardless, it passes the time, it can relax you too. Just…keep yourself busy, Hiccup. It won't hurt forever, and one day, you'll wake up as if it was all a nightmare and _she_ will be nothing more than a bad memory. Camicazi might not be the one for you, but there is one out there somewhere and you never know when you could meet her, or him, if you swing that way. The point is, Hiccup, don't believe that just because she broke your heart, doesn't mean someone else won't come along to pick up the pieces, so you can give it to the girl, or guy who gives you their heart in return,"

Hiccup looked at Astrid, a little surprised by her words. However, she wasn't wrong. Hiccup knew that this break up with Camicazi just signified that they weren't meant to be, and one day, Hiccup could meet a girl who gives him as much as he gives her. Perhaps not right now, as Hiccup needed time to heal, but eventually Hiccup knew there could be a time when he falls in love again. "Thank you, Astrid. You're right, talking like this does help. And thank you for the words of encouragement and wisdom,"

"Hey, what are friends for? You can talk to me anytime you need or want too, and I'll be here to listen and offer what comfort I can, no matter what," Astrid smiled. For the first time in nearly a month, Hiccup smiled back as Finn returned to take their order. After that, the two continued to talk about updates in one another's lives. Hiccup offered to help Astrid with training for the racing league, and Astrid told him about how the others were doing while they were eating. When the meal was over, they both paid, then left the restaurant to get to their dragons. "Where are you headed from here?"

"I dunno. Maybe home to do some laundry. What about you?" Hiccup asked.

"Get ready for work at three," Astrid shrugged. "Oh. Before I forget; Heather and Fishlegs are getting married in July on the 28th. Would you…maybe like to come, a-as my guest?" she wondered.

"Sure. I'm sure I won't be doing nothing else. I'll come along as your guest/date," Hiccup said.

"Great. I'll…message you the details?" Astrid questioned.

"Yeah, here's my number," Hiccup stated as he grabbed a small piece of paper, then a pen, wrote down his number and handed it to her. "Thanks for today, Astrid. It helped a lot, and got my mind off things,"

"Anytime," Astrid replied as Hiccup ended up hugging her, then he got on Toothless, and took off. Astrid blushed a bit as she placed Hiccup's number in her pocket, then got on Stormfly and left. Honestly, she couldn't wait for July now because Hiccup and she were going together to Heather and Fishleg's big day. Astrid wasn't trying to move in on being with Hiccup, but perhaps she could help him get over Camicazi by keeping him distracted. There was nothing like a good old wedding to do just that.


	18. Chapter 18

**No Matter What**

Rated: M

Pairings: Hiccup X Astrid

Disclaimer; I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, but I do own the rights to my OC characters!

 **Chapter Eighteen**

=Hiccup's POV=

 _{July 28, 2012-Berkville Hall-6 pm}_

Today, I was actually looking forward to attending this wedding between Heather and Fishlegs, and a bonus was that I was going as Astrid's date/guest/escort. I wasn't entirely sure what the title was since I never got an official invitation to the wedding, but Astrid told me on a text that she let Heather and Fishlegs know she was coming with a _plus one_. I was wearing all black except for my silver tie to match Astrid's dress because she mentioned that she'd be wearing one due to being Heather's Maid of Honor. I saw Astrid land at the same time I did on Toothless, and she hugged me after getting off Stormfly and fixing her dress.

"Hey, you look great!" Astrid greeted.

"Thanks," I rubbed the back of my head. "It's…not often get all dressed up like this," I informed while admiring how she looked in her dress.

"Me either, but, Heather is my best friend, and this is what she chose for me to wear while standing next to her," Astrid shrugged. "Shall we go inside?" I nodded to her and offered my arm as she linked hers to mine and we walked towards the door. I pulled the handle as we headed in, and the first thing my eyes zoned in on was Camicazi sitting at table number five with two other girls.

=Normal POV=

Camicazi saw the door open and Hiccup walk inside with Astrid on his right arm. Quickly, she stood in shock to see him there. Astrid felt bed instantly; she didn't know Camicazi would be coming or she would not have suggested Hiccup coming with her.

"Hiccup?" Camicazi asked. "What…are you doing here?"

Astrid saw Hiccup refuse to talk, and sigh. "Hiccup is here as my date to the wedding. I invited him; Heather and Fishlegs don't mind," Astrid said as Hiccup looked at her with a bit of shock.

"Well, I mind. You're supposed to be my best friend, and you're dating my boyfriend?!" Camicazi screeched.

"Don't talk to her that, Camicazi," Hiccup stated firmly, but Hiccup felt Astrid touch his cheek with a smile.

"It's okay, Hiccup, she doesn't bother me. Oh, and Cami? In case you forgot; Hiccup isn't your boyfriend anymore because you cheated on him. Best friends don't lie to one another and use them. Sit down, and leave us alone. We came for a wedding and to have a good time," Astrid retorted as Camicazi stalled a bit, but having a response. "Now, if you'll excuse us," Astrid and Hiccup walked away to sign the guestbook, then find their table; number two, thank the Gods.

"Thanks for the save back there," Hiccup breathed a bit of relief as he saw Camicazi's shocked and somewhat hurt face about what Astrid said.

"Anytime," Astrid smiled as they reached their seat and got comfortable.

 _{Later On; 6:45 pm}_

The wedding was beautiful, and Hiccup enjoyed watching Astrid stand up next to Heather while she took her vows. At one point, Astrid saw Hiccup look away and she felt like perhaps it hurt him to see a wedding when he'd been prepared to marry Camicazi until he caught her cheating. After the ceremony, Heather and Fishlegs had their first dance, then we moved on to an early dinner. The meal was ravioli with meatballs and sauce on top or the side. There was also garlic bread, and parmigiana cheese; it was divine. After all that, the dance floor was opening up to the other guests dancing if they wanted to.

"I'm so happy for her," Astrid said softly seeing Heather dancing with Fishlegs. There had been a dance between Dagur and Heather since her father wasn't there. Also, Fishlegs danced with his mother. The doors opened revealing Cody, Eret, and Thuggory walking in with their girlfriends; Kirsten, Brittany, and Dahlia.

"What the hell are you guys doing here?" Hiccup asked, a little surprised.

"I thought you might like to have a little backup besides me against her," Astrid smiled. "Thanks for coming, Thuggory, and rounding the others up,"

"Anything for our leader here," Eret chuckled. "She give you any trouble?"

"Not really, and Astrid shut her down when we arrived," Hiccup shrugged. "Is it okay with Heather and Fishlegs for them to be here?"

"Yeah, I checked first. Now, with them here, I don't worry what Cami will do if I do this," Astrid giggled as she grabbed Hiccup's hand, then pulled him up and to the dance floor. "Let's dance," Hiccup actually smiled and started dancing with her to the song playing, which happened to be the Cha Cha Slide. When that ended, Astrid and Hiccup were both laughing and having a good time. The next song to come on was something that got Eret, Cody, and Thuggory a little hyped up as they hurried to Hiccup's side.

"It's our song, man!" Cody smacked his arm.

"Come on, we gotta do it," Thuggory insisted.

"Nah, it's not fair to the bride and groom to steal their night," Hiccup informed.

"What is this song anyway?" Fishlegs wondered as they weren't far from where Hiccup and Astrid were.

"It's a song that represents the Marines, what we do to enemies who threaten our home. The four of us sang it to our battalion on one of the karaoke nights. It was a huge hit," Eret chuckled. "But Hiccup's version is much better than the original,"

"I'd like to hear it," Heather smiled, and Astrid nodded as well, agreeing.

"With your permission Mr. and Mrs. Ingerman," Cody asked. Fishlegs and Heather motioned for them to go ahead. Astrid went to sit down as Thuggory restarted the song and then the four Marines took their positions on the floor.

"Let's go, boys!" Hiccup called them. **(A/N: Song used is;** _ **The Warrior Song-Hard Corps by Sean Householder**_ **if anyone was curious as to listen to the song themselves!)**

"That was incredible," Astrid came next to Hiccup's side when it was over.

"Eh, it's what we do," Hiccup shrugged.

"Alrighty! Now, I think it's time we toss the garter and bouquet!" Heather sat down in a chair as Fishlegs very deviously removed the garter that was on her thigh. Heather squealed and blushed furiously. Afterward, she got her flowers while Fishlegs held onto the garter. "Ladies first, and that means all UNMARRIED women, make your way to the dance floor," called the DJ. The boys moved back as all the female who weren't married made their way over. Heather had her back to them as she threw her bouquet backward; it flew through the air as Astrid jumped up and caught it in her arms. "Now for the men, same rules gentleman. If ya ain't married; get up here," the men took up their spot as Fishlegs flung the garter back.

Thuggory, Eret, and Cody grinned as they had Snotlout, Tuffnut, and Throk take one step back before Hiccup could ask what they were doing, the garter landed in Hiccup's hands, and he blinked.

"Are you kidding me? What the fuck guys!" Hiccup grumbled as he saw what they did now.

"Sorry, Hic, I guess we…misjudged how far back it would go," Eret smiled.

"As per tradition, whoever caught the garter will place it on the female who caught the bouquet. In old myths; it signifies that these two will end up married!" the DJ announced as Astrid blushed and Hiccup swallowed a bit. Hiccup cleared his throat as he offered his hand to Astrid as she placed hers in his, then he led her to the chair that had been put back on the floor.

"Well, if it's any help. I much prefer you putting it on than any of these others guys," Astrid said.

"I can agree. I don't think it would look good doing this to someone who was in a relationship. At least we're both single," Hiccup laughed a bit.

"If looks could kill," Astrid stated as Hiccup arched a brow, and then looked to where Astrid was motioning. To Cami, who was glaring and clearly jealous.

"Milady," Hiccup said gently as Astrid giggled a bit. Hiccup ran his hands up her leg slowly, then back down as he lifted her leg by the foot, and slid the garter around her ankle. Hiccup shimmied it upward to past her knee and around her thigh before standing up and offering his hands to her. Astrid took them as Hiccup brought her up to her feet, and they hugged.

"Now for a dance!" the DJ announced. "What will your song be, or should I pick?" he asked.

"Ladies choice," Hiccup invited.

"Um. Do you have _I've Had The Time Of My Life_?" Astrid wondered. The DJ nodded and put it on. is"You know this one?"

"It was one of my mother's favorites; I used to watch my parents dance to it," Hiccup chuckled a bit as they began dancing to it as it was done in the Dirty Dancing movie. Hiccup and Astrid even started singing along and managed to do the lift. When the song ended, the two hugged once more and smiled while looking into each other's eyes.

"Kiss. Kiss. Kiss. Kiss! Kiss! KISS! KISS!" the friends began chanting. Astrid smiled at him as Hiccup started to lean in, and then Camicazi standing there in shock and hurt caught his eyes. Hiccup turned his head from Astrid, closing his eyes afterward before he backed up from Astrid.

"I-I'm sorry. I-I can't," Hiccup said before he briskly walked away from her, and went outside.

"Go check on him," Thuggory told Eret and Cody; they nodded and followed after Hiccup. Thuggory moved next to Astrid. "Don't take it personally, Astrid,"

"I'm not, but Camicazi purposely moved in his line of sight. Most of tonight, his back has been to her so he didn't have to see her. I know it hurts Hiccup to see her. Is he going to be okay?" Astrid asked.

"I sent Cody and Eret to make sure, but Hiccup is a tough guy. Unfortunately, he's not quite over Camicazi yet and still loves her regardless of how much she hurt him. Kissing you would only make him feel like he's betraying a love that isn't returned," Thuggory informed.

"I wouldn't have suggested him coming if I knew she'd be here. I thought he might like a fun night out with friends, to take his mind off things," Astrid sighed. "I feel I should go apologize to him," Astrid caught sight of Camicazi moving towards the door, then going outside. Astrid followed her, and Thuggory too. Thuggory went to locate Eret and Cody who would be with Hiccup. Camicazi tried to follow him, but Astrid stood in her path. "Don't even think about it, Camicazi,"

"What?" Camicazi asked.

"Leave Hiccup alone," Astrid demanded.

"I will do no such thing. It's clear Hiccup still loves me, and that will bring us back to one another. I just have to show him that I'm still the girl he met five years ago, and that I care," Camicazi retorted. By this point, Hiccup had returned, but the two girls hadn't seen him yet.

"You don't care! If you cared at all, you would NOT have cheated on him for SIX months! It wasn't a one-time drunken mistake. You knew what you were fucking doing, and continued to do it after he'd been home for two weeks, then returned to Afghanistan. You're nothing but a cheating, lying, deceitful bitch. You are no friend of mine," Astrid stated firmly. Stormfly screeched when Camicazi stepped towards Astrid, then raised her tail up as the spikes prepared for launch.

"You're just trying to take him away!" Camicazi threw her fists down.

"I'm not," Astrid informed coldly.

"He almost kissed you; you're taking advantage of him!" Camicazi stomped her foot down.

"My only intention with Hiccup is to protect him from you and help him move on. If Hiccup wants to kiss me, that's fine; it's his prerogative to do so. If Hiccup wants to be with me, whatever; that's also his decision. However, I won't do anything against his will. It's _HIS_ life, Camicazi. And you are no longer apart of it. I'm in his life because I'm his friend, and I didn't hurt him," Astrid growled out.

"You knew I'd be here tonight! You purposely asked him to be your date to hurt me!" Camicazi countered.

"I invited Hiccup to come as my guest because he wanted to do anything but sit at home and be miserable over your dishonesty and disloyalty. Yes, he still loves you. Yes, what you did continues hurts him even now when it's been five months since the breakup! All you're doing by coming around him is keep hurting him!" Astrid glared. "Me on the other hand, all I'm doing is being a friend who cares. I won't let you hurt him anymore," she remarked. "Protecting Hiccup so you can't weasel your way back into his life while he puts the pieces of his heart; the one you broke, back together. _That_ is what I am doing; keeping him safe along with Eret, Cody, and Thuggory. Hiccup will get over you with our help, and move on with his life while you, Camicazi, just slowly fade away into the past. You will mean _nothing_ to him, and everything to someone else. That person will be the one to get his heart because they will have been there for him always, and love him unconditionally as you could not," she sneered as Camicazi bit her bottom lip, then rushed off to get to her dragon. After that, she left in tears.

Hiccup made himself known now. "Remind me not to get on your bad side,"

Astrid froze a moment, then sighed. "Hiccup, I'm sorry,"

"What for? Astrid, you…kept her away and defended me. You don't need to apologize; I wanted to thank you," Hiccup said.

"Why? I insisted you come to this wedding with me to have fun, and all I did was bring you to a place she was," Astrid looked down.

"You didn't know she was here. And hey," Hiccup lifted her chin with his hand. "I had a great time tonight hanging out with you. You're right, I needed this; to get out and have, and I did even though she was here. For once in the last five months, the thought of her didn't bother me because I had you to keep me company and distracted. So thank you, Astrid," Hiccup kissed her cheek, then moved his hand down to hold Astrid's. "What do you say we go back inside and finish having a good night? I think Fishlegs and Heather were getting ready to do cake, and I don't want to miss out on that," he smiled.

"Okay," Astrid smiled as they walked back inside to continue enjoying their night. Astrid couldn't believe she stood up to Camicazi and got a kiss on the cheek for it from Hiccup himself, who _thanked_ her for what she did. On Hiccup's side of things, he didn't know what it was about Astrid, but being around her; he didn't think about Camicazi. And he liked not feeling the pain of what she did to him too. Hiccup didn't know where things went from here, but he knew that he was starting to feel better.


	19. Chapter 19

**No Matter What**

Rated: M

Pairings: Hiccup X Astrid

Disclaimer; I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, but I do own the rights to my OC characters!

 **Chapter Nineteen**

=Normal POV=

 _{September 2012}_

Two months had gone by since the night of Fishlegs's and Heather's wedding. Camicazi had been staying clear of Hiccup, and had no means to contact him either. Astrid refused to be Camicazi's friend because of the lies Cami told her to locate Hiccup when Cami knew why he would talk to her. Heather, Fishlegs, Throk, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, and Snotlout still spoke to Camicazi, but it wasn't an everyday thing; perhaps just once or twice a week to see how everyone was doing. Fishlegs and Heather were enjoying being newlyweds, still living in their apartment, and working. Throk and Ruffnut were planning their wedding for April 2013, and it promised to be interesting too. Snotlout and Tuffnut were still only in the dating stages of their relationships with their girlfriends; Stilsta and Asta. Eret and Dahlia were married too now; they tied the knot a week ago, and were due back from their honeymoon in two days. Thuggory and Brittany were doing well, been back together for over a year. Cody and Kirsten were living together, still dating, but there was rumor he would be asking for her hand in marriage sometime in 2013.

However, Hiccup and Astrid remained single. Astrid continued to work and train for the next tryouts session for the racing league, and Hiccup helped her out with it to keep himself distracted from thinking about Camicazi. In August, just after the Ingerman wedding, Hiccup got emotional because it would have been five years with Camicazi, and they'd be engaged by now. Alas, it was Astrid to realized something might be bothering him when Hiccup took the day off work, and hadn't been answering phone calls or messages. Thuggory had gone to check on Hiccup, and proved Astrid's suspicions of Hiccup being upset because it was August 8th. Now, it had been seven months since the breakup, and Hiccup was doing a lot better as the time passed. Hiccup was back to doing things he loved to do such as draw, and take flights with Toothless while doing daring moves. Yes, everything was starting to turn around for him, and more-so because he and Astrid spent a lot of their free time together.

Today was more training for the racing league. Hiccup and Astrid met up with their dragons around 10 am at a training course in the city.

"Alright, where do we start this morning?" Astrid asked him.

"Well, the league looks for different aspects in people for the team such as; speed, discipline, appearance, health, and skill. Were you told why they didn't select you?" Hiccup inquired.

"No, but I feel like it was something to do with our times, and handling the course. I'm not great at sudden turns at full speed," Astrid stated.

"We can work on that. Stormfly is definitely in good health because she's still young, and I know you've trained her well; listening to commands isn't a problem either. Appearance, well, that can be worked on because it's mainly for you; color wise if you would," Hiccup informed while looking over Stormfly. "So, we can work on speed for now. Why don't you take Stormfly for a couple laps to warm up while I get my stopwatch ready, and then we'll do some time trials,"

"Got it. Let's go girl!" Astrid called to her Nadder. Stormfly squawked as Astrid got on her back, then they headed for the smaller track. Hiccup got his stopwatch ready on his wrist, then pulled out a few other things that could help Astrid train to make the racing league this time around. After ten minutes Hiccup signaled her over as she landed before him.

"The first part of any race by the league is eight laps with no obstacles. So, I want you to start here on the big track, and I'll time it," Astrid nodded to Hiccup as he got his finger on the start button. "Go!" he pressed it as Astrid zipped off. After she'd gone eight times past Hiccup, he stopped the clock. "Not bad. 3.47," Hiccup stated. "Regulatory times show you have to do at least eight laps in two flat,"

"I was going as fast as I could," Astrid sighed.

"It was only the first run. Let's give it another go; eight more," Hiccup wrote the first time down as Astrid nodded and prepared to take off once more. Hiccup sent her off with the click of a button. This same process repeated three more times, but Astrid could not complete the track in two minutes or less. Astrid landed, clearly disappointed in herself and getting down-hearted about it.

"It's no use, Hiccup. We just can't do it," Astrid looked down.

"You can. There are other Nadders on the team, Astrid. However, I think I may have found the problem," Hiccup said as Astrid looked at him curiously. "You hesitate on turns," Hiccup pointed out.

"I get nervous," Astrid looked down. "It's…the sharpness and her tilting at that speed makes me afraid to fall,"

"But it's slowing you down," Hiccup informed. "Your last time was 2.43, and we can knock off those previous forty-three seconds to make the max two minutes if you don't slow down on corners. Come on, you're almost there and we've only been here forty-five minutes,"

"I just…get scared, Hiccup. I-I don't want to fall. I did it once when I was sixteen, and got two cracked ribs because of it," Astrid explained.

"Astrid, you can't let one incident hold you back. Okay? I'm going to tell you something that my mother always told me; Never allow the fear of falling once keep you from flying again," Hiccup said as Astrid sighed. Hiccup looked at Toothless now, and whistled him over, then got on his back before offering his hand to Astrid. "Let's go,"

"G-Go where?" Astrid asked.

"The track of course. Now, come on. You trust me, don't you?" Hiccup inquired. Astrid took his hand as he pulled her up behind him. "Hang on," he instructed. Astrid locked her arms around his waist while Hiccup prepared the stopwatch once more. "Let's fly, bud!" Toothless gave a delighted roar before shooting off down the track. Reaching the first bend, Astrid held tighter as Toothless didn't slow down. Toothless tilted and turned to make the corner. After eight laps passed, Hiccup stopped the watch, then Toothless landed. Astrid lifted her head and looked at the time on the device. Thirty-five seconds! "If we can do it, so can you,"

"That's hardly fair; you're riding a Night Fury!" Astrid exclaimed.

"Doesn't matter. The point is that it can be done if you trust your dragon," Hiccup muttered. Now we're gonna do this again, only you're gonna sit in front," Astrid gulped a bit as she moved in front of Hiccup and put her hands on the handles to the saddle. "You will be safe, I promise," he assured. Astrid nodded. "Again, Toothless," the Night Fury gave a warbled, the shot off again. Hiccup put one hand on her shoulder, and another on her hip. As the curve neared, Astrid instinctively gave a command to slow down. "Do it, bud," Hiccup ordered as Toothless kept at his speed.

"Hiccup! No! No!" Astrid screamed as Toothless began to turn and Hiccup moved Astrid to the side as well. Once the turn had been made, Hiccup sat them both up straight as Toothless leveled out. After it was over, Toothless set down as Astrid breathed deeply. "That was terrifying!" she shouted. Hiccup showed her the watch; **0.35s**.

"But you survived, didn't you? I didn't let you fall, as promised, and we didn't need to slow down to keep the same time as before," Hiccup remarked as Astrid couldn't protest.

"You kept tilting me!" was the argument she countered with.

"When you fly on your dragon, you fly _with_ them. I made you lean when Toothless did so you get the motion of how he operates. Move with Stormfly, be one with her," Hiccup stated. "Now, get on Stormfly, and fly the way we did on Toothless. You're in control now, and if you can fly Toothless at that speed, then you can fly your dragon no problem. Don't slow down, and don't be afraid," Astrid took a deep breath as she climbed into Stormfly's saddle, and Hiccup prepared the watch once more. "Go!" he pushed the button as Stormfly took off.

Eight times around the track again, and Astrid moved the way Hiccup instructed her to while never slowing down on corners. Stormfly landed as Astrid nervously looked at Hiccup, who was looking at the stopwatch. "Another fail, right?" she grumbled.

"Unbelievable," Hiccup said quietly as Astrid sighed. Hiccup smiled as he tapped her arm and showed her the time. One minute and forty seconds. "Well done, Astrid, and you too, Stormfly," Hiccup stated. Astrid couldn't believe it; an hour with Hiccup and she was _under_ two minutes for eight laps around the track! Astrid looked at Hiccup, then the watch, then she got off and hugged him tightly.

"Thank you! Thank you so much, Hiccup! I never could have done this without you helping me conquer my fears of fast turns!" Astrid jumped up and down. Hiccup chuckled as he hugged her back.

"Now, I think we've earned a little break, and then we'll keep practicing," Hiccup told her. Astrid nodded as they headed off to the side to enjoy the food they brought to eat, and the dragons got fish and water. Astrid was so overjoyed about this, and she knew that with Hiccup's help, she would make the racing team this year.

 _{Early October 2012-Home of Finn Hofferson}_

All through September, Astrid worked with Hiccup as much as they were able to get her ready for the tryouts that were being held right after the New Year began. This meant that Astrid only had two months left to get prepared. Thanks to Hiccup, Astrid mastered the speeds she needed to have in all individual areas, and now they had to work on getting it all together. Hiccup even helped her come up with a race look for her and Stormfly. The more time Astrid spent with Hiccup, the more she was falling for him. It wasn't a crush anymore, and that worried Astrid because Hiccup has only shown signs of being her friend, but nothing more. Also, Hiccup seemed to still be getting over Camicazi. At the moment, Astrid was texting thuggory about how their days had been.

 _[What have you been doing all day? -Thug]_

[I've…been with Hiccup…-Asty]

Astrid was nervous to tell him because nobody knew about them getting together for dragon race training.

 _[Doing what, pray tell? -Thug]_

[He's been helping me prepare for racing league tryouts, which I've just found out will be after the first of the year. -Asty]

 _[Hang on. You're the one he's been talking to so much? We've been wondering what has him occupied. -Thug]_

[Yeah, he offered to help me out. I'm sorry if I've been taking him from you guys a lot; I really enjoy spending the time with him, and I felt like it was keeping his mind off of…Well, you know who. -Asty]

Suddenly, her phone rang. Astrid looked at the caller; Thuggory. Why would he be calling during the middle of the day? Wasn't he at work? Astrid answered the call. "Did you want to hear my voice?" Astrid greeted jokingly.

" _I wanted to ask you something regarding a matter back in 2011,"_ Thuggory began.

"Um, okay. Ask away?" Astrid replied.

" _When we broke up; you told me it was because you had a crush on someone, right?"_ Thuggory inquired. Astrid blinked a little. Why would he be asking about that?

"Y-Yes?" Astrid responded.

" _Does that somebody happen to be Hiccup?"_ Thuggory questioned. Astrid's eyes widened as she gasped a little. _"I'll take your shock as a yes. I'm not mad, Astrid, just tell me the truth. Is Hiccup the one you're crushing on?"_

Astrid was caught, and she wanted to know how Thuggory figured it out! For now, though, she couldn't lie to him. "Been crushing on him since I met him back in Senior Year," she admitted. "How…did you know?"

" _Why didn't you tell me back then?"_ Thuggory wondered.

"Because you're his best friend, and Hiccup was with Camicazi, and madly in love with her. I assumed I would never have a chance with him," Astrid sighed. "I just…didn't want to cause any problems between anyone.

" _Fair enough. Does he know you like him?"_ Thuggory asked next.

"No…I haven't had the heart to tell him because I don't know if he's over Camicazi. I don't…want to scare him off as a friend if he doesn't feel the same way. I don't…want him to think that I've only-," Astrid started.

Thuggory chuckled at her. _"Hey, relax. Hiccup isn't that kind of guy. And I can say with almost 90% assurance that he's over that bitch. Hiccup will never forget what she did, and he might always have a soft spot for her because she was his first for a lot of things, but he doesn't love her like he used to; I can tell,"_

"How?" Astrid questioned.

" _Because of you,"_ Thuggory said as Astrid's eyes widened. _"I've known you two are hanging out a lot, and he's been helping you. But Astrid, you've been using it to help him too; keeping him distracted from thinking about Camicazi. I say he's over her because Hiccup is always talking about how much fun it is to be around you, and working with the dragons. I never see him stop smiling when he talks about his time spent with you. I'm going to be completely honest with you, okay? I'm positive that Hiccup likes you, Astrid. I don't know if he loves you, but he really likes you, and won't admit it to anyone, or himself because he's scared to get hurt again. I know because I'm his best friend, and I see how happy he is,"_

"I wouldn't hurt him, Thuggory. You know that,"Astrid insisted.

" _I know that, but I think he's holding back because he doesn't know if you feel the same. Also, as I said, he's scared to feel those emotions again. He's holding back, but I see that you make him happy. You have to tell him how you feel, so that way he knows it's okay to return the feelings to you. I won't make you, but Camicazi fucked up, and now you have a chance to be with him, and you should take it. I gotta go because Hiccup's on his way back. Think about what I said,"_ Thuggory informed, then the call ended.

Astrid put her phone down, and sighed. Thuggory was sure that Hiccup had feelings for her, and to take the chance she has now to tell Hiccup how she feels, so he won't be afraid to show his own and return them. Astrid knew Thuggory was right. In the beginning when she met Hiccup; she never would have imagined that Camicazi and he would breakup, but they were and Astrid had a chance to be with him, and make sure he was never hurt again because Astrid would protect his heart, as she hoped he would do the same for her. Astrid made her choice; she was going to tell Hiccup how she felt for him.


	20. Chapter 20

**No Matter What**

Rated: M

Pairings: Hiccup X Astrid

Disclaimer; I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, but I do own the rights to my OC characters!

 **Chapter Twenty**

=Astrid's POV=

 _{Saturday, October 25, 2012}_

I truthfully did not know what to make of mine and Thuggory's conversation three weeks ago. I understood that Hiccup evidently informed his best friend about our training sessions to help me get into the racing league in two months. However, there were some things I didn't get. Like the fact Thuggory told me that Hiccup _likes_ me! What?! I didn't know how to respond to that, but I did tell Thuggory that Hiccup was the guy I had been crushing on since Senior Year at BDA when I met him. I assume Thuggory only said what he did about his assumptions of Hiccup liking me were because Thuggory wanted to see if I returned the feelings that Hiccup is afraid to reveal in fear of being hurt if I don't like him back. I suppose Hiccup had nothing to worry about because I do reciprocate his feelings, and I never thought I'd be told by Thuggory to take my chance to say to Hiccup how I felt. Sure, I wanted to let him know; I just had no idea how to reveal that information.

Okay. So Hiccup has hesitant feelings for me, and I've fallen in love with him. Thuggory said to take my chance; the one I believed I would never have because Hiccup and Cami were together when I started liking Hiccup. Gods, I didn't even know where to begin with this, and it's been three weeks since Thuggory told me to say something. It's a Friday night, thankfully, I don't have work, or none tomorrow and Sunday as well. Two days off because I'd gotten hurt on Thursday, and my boss ordered me to take a few days to recover. My ankle hurts a bit, and I'm sore, but otherwise okay. At the moment, I'm relaxing on my bed. A familiar ding from my phone got my attention; I reached to my nightstand to get it.

It was a message from Thuggory. I opened it up to read what he had said; _[Can you talk? -Thug]_

[Yeah -Asty]

Not more than a second after I replied, the phone rang. "What's up, Thuggory?" I greeted.

" _We have a problem,"_ Thuggory said as he had my full attention. Thuggory began to explain that Hiccup was overworked and tired; he passed out and fell of Toothless, and Camicazi just happened to be nearby. Cami saved him, and when he woke up, Cami said she's the one who caught him, also that just because he hates her doesn't mean she cares any less about him. I understood what Thuggory was telling me; Camicazi was worming her way into his life, and because Hiccup would always love her, there was a possibility that he might give her a second chance.

"So what do you want me to do? Kick her ass? Hiccup will hate me," I muttered.

" _Look. I don't know how Cami did it, but she managed to convince Hiccup to go to the Singing Stars Lounge. You know, the Karaoke one. Hiccup agreed to go if Eret, Cody, and I did as well. Hiccup mentioned once before the breakup that he loves Cami's voice, and it was one of the things he fell in love with. If you want your chance, I suggest you show up, and beat her at her own game. I KNOW you sing better than her. If she loses to you, she'll get jealous and ultimately rat herself out to Hiccup that you're stepping in when she did so much to get him back,"_ Thuggory explained.

"You want me to get on stage and _SING_ to beat her?" I asked, astonished.

" _Astrid, do you want to be with Hiccup?"_ Thuggory inquired.

"Yes…"I replied.

" _Then kill two birds with one stone. Beat Camicazi at singing, and use music to tell Hiccup how you feel,"_ Thuggory offered.

I groaned. Yet, I couldn't say no. I swore I wouldn't let Hiccup be hurt again, and I meant it. "What time?"

" _We're going for 7:30 pm. Invite a couple of your friends, make it seem like you guys chose to do karaoke for a get-together or something,"_ Thuggory stated.

"I'll see what I can do. Thanks, Thug. I'll see you tomorrow night. Bye," I hung up. I had hoped to have more time to figure out how to tell Hiccup I liked him, but it seems that my chance was tomorrow. I had about twenty-four hours to come up with a song to destroy Camicazi with and let it reveal my feelings to Hiccup. How many songs could do that? I better get researching.

=Normal POV=

 _{Saturday, October 27, 2012-7:30 pm}_

Astrid managed to rope all her friends into coming with her; Snotlout, Asta, Heather, Fishlegs, Throk, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, and Stilsta. Astrid told them they didn't have to perform, but she thought it might be fun to see all the other performers go up. Astrid didn't mention she would be singing, and she really hoped she didn't mess up the song she picked to do. It was hard, and not many could do it, so she practiced last night and today. At 7:30 on the dot; Camicazi waltzed in with Hiccup, then Thuggory, Brittany, Eret, Dahlia, Cody, and Kristen right behind. Thuggory saw Astrid, and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Ugh, what is she doing here?" Camicazi mumbled a bit.

"Camicazi, don't be that way. Astrid and the rest of them are my friends," Hiccup reminded. "Hey, Astrid, girls and guys. What brings you to Singing Stars?" he asked.

"Well, we get together every couple of weeks to hang out. Our usual spots are busy, so we came here," Heather smiled.

"Any of you singing?" Thuggory hinted.

"None of us have the guts to get up there," Snotlout remarked with a smile.

"Come sit with us, we have plenty of room!" Ruffnut invited. The eight newcomers joined them at the booths and tables. For an hour, everything was okay, but Astrid noticed Camicazi making not-so-subtle moves on Hiccup, and he was falling for her act. Astrid caught Cami casting glances at her saying; _he's all mine_. 8:30 pm rolled around, and Camicazi decided to take her shot to sing. The song chosen was A Thousand Years by Christina Perry. Cami didn't do bad, but it was apparent Hiccup was mesmerized by her voice, and seemed to enjoy that Camicazi dedicated it to him before starting. Astrid got a text from Thuggory.

 _[It's time, Astrid. Verbally kick her ass. -Thug]_

Astrid took a deep breath as Camicazi reached the table once more, and Hiccup told her what a great job she did with a smile, and it was still as beautiful as he remembered.

"Alright, my turn," Astrid got up and Hiccup looked at her.

"I didn't know sang," Hiccup said.

"Only when the moment is just right," Astrid winked as Hiccup chuckled a little.

"Oh, and the moment is right?" Hiccup asked.

Astrid didn't say anything else as she reached the DJ, and whispered her song choice to him. After a second, he nodded and Astrid took the stage. Astrid got the microphone and held it in her right hand, looking out to the crowd, but her eyes fell on Hiccup. "This song is dedicated to someone special who I've liked for a while and is here tonight. I believe that the moment is right to let him know how I feel about him, and hope that he feels the same. I only want to give him what he needs, and be given a chance to love him as he deserves to be loved and be happy," Astrid said gently, making sure to look directly at Hiccup. Astrid knew he had caught on because his eyes widened a little, staring in a bit of shock. Astrid looked back to the DJ, and he started the song as the room fell quiet.

" _Take me, back into the arms I love. Need me, like you did before. Touch me once again, and remember when; there was no one that you wanted more,"_ Astrid began, then took a light breath. _"Don't go. You know you'll break my heart. She won't, love you like I will. I'm the one who'll stay, when she walks away. And you know I'll be standing here still,"_

" _I'll be waiting for you! Here inside my heart. I'm the one who wants to love you more! You will see I can give you; everything you need. Let me be the one to love you more!"_ Astrid sang out as the crowd began cheering with broad smiles.

" _See me, as if you never knew. Hold me, so you can't let go. Just believe in me. I will make you see. All the things that you're heart needs to know!"_ Astrid continued.

" _I'll be waiting for you. Here inside my heart. I'm the one who wants to love you more!,"_ Astrid moved her arm a little, motioning it in his direction, then putting it back down as she smiled towards him. _"You will see I can give you; everything you need. Let me be the one to love you more!"_ Camicazi saw how astonished Hiccup looked at Astrid's voice, and didn't like it one bit. Camicazi tried to reach for Hiccup's hand, but he pulled it away from her and continued to watch.

The music softened a bit as it got quieter so everyone would be able to hear; this was not your average song to sing, and very few people could do the ending. At the moment, there was nothing but curiosity.

" _Some way. All the love that we had, can be saved. Whatever it takes; we'll find the way!"_ Astrid sang, then took a breath; her eyes zeroing in on Hiccup. Some people had moved closer to the stage, and Astrid saw Hiccup looking right at her. Hiccup was lost in a trance, he got up, and made his way towards the stage, pushing through the others as Astrid got a little lower to meet him, she smiled now. _"Believe me, I will make you see. All the things that you're heart needs to know! I'll be,"_ another pause as Hiccup watched her get to stand back up as the music built.

" _Waiting for you! Here inside my heart! I'm the one who wants to love you more!"_ Astrid pointed right at him this time, still smiling as Hiccup understood that he was the one she had feelings for. _"Can't you see I can give you? Everything you need. Let me be the one to love you more!"_ Astrid held the note while dancing a bit. _"Oooh! Oooooooohhhhh"_ Astrid sang out, holding the extended note for the full minute and ten seconds that it was. At the end, she threw her head back with her arms out, panting as the crowd went wild. Astrid smiled as she looked back at them all, she saw Hiccup smiling at her.

Hiccup had begun to like Astrid a lot, but didn't think she felt the same. However, tonight, he was proven wrong. Astrid had been by his side ever since they ran into one another at the park after the breakup happened. Astrid's voice was nothing short of incredible, and performing a song only five or so people could do correctly besides the artist herself? Hiccup had no words. After Astrid put the microphone back on the stand, she then began to walk away to get down on the side. Astrid had feelings for him, and he wasn't going to let the chance to pass him by. Not again. Hiccup pulled himself on stage, and grasped her hand with his, stopping, and turning her around to face him; their eyes locked on one another. Astrid looked a bit shocked, but Hiccup was only smiling softly.

"Kiss. Kiss. Kiss! Kiss! KISS!" the room began chanting as they understood that this guy who got on stage is the one who she dedicated the song too. Hiccup lifted her chin up as he leaned in closer, and Astrid let a smile form on her lips. Camicazi went to get up but Eret, Cody, and Thuggory put their arms out to stop her, and then watched as Hiccup placed his lips to Astrid's in a soft, short kiss. Afterward, Hiccup pulled back, and moving some of her hair out of her eyes.

"You didn't get scared and run away this time," Astrid pointed out.

"I don't have a reason to be afraid because I know who will keep my heart safe; the same girl who helped pick up the pieces and put it back together. You," Hiccup said. Astrid wrapped her arms around him, and he returned it. "By the way, you don't have to hope he feels the same," he mentioned. "I like you too, Astrid," That was all Astrid needed to hear to know that this was Hiccup giving her the chance she asked for earlier, and she would not make him regret it.


	21. Chapter 21

**No Matter What**

Rated: M

Pairings: Hiccup X Astrid

Disclaimer; I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, but I do own the rights to my OC characters!

 **Chapter Twenty-One**

 **~Author's Note;** _I should have mentioned it last section, but the song Astrid sang was To Love You More by Celine Dion. However, the version she sang was done by a young woman named Charice Pempengco. This girl rocks at performing Celine songs, and I love her voice. So if you'd like to check out how Astrid's song was based on, go to Youtube and type in Charice Pempengco with David Foster-To Love You More & All By Myself. Honestly, it's impressive. Anyway, onward with chapter 21!_

=Hiccup's POV=

I did not imagine that I'd get so mesmerized by Astrid's voice. I actually had Camicazi stop touching me so I could pay attention. Towards the end, I reached the stage as Astrid got closer and was blown away by her performance. Astrid chose a song called To Love You More by an artist named Celine Dion. The dilemma with a song like this was that very few people could pull it off because of the high pitched, long-held tones someone needed to hit. I realized at the end that Astrid's starting dedication was to me. I understood that she liked me, and used the song to reveal her feelings. I was shocked, and impressed by it. As I saw her walking away, I recalled what she said about hoping for a chance to love me like I deserved to be loved, to be happy. Astrid had been with me as much as she was able to help pick up the pieces of my broken heart after Camicazi, and I never told Astrid how I felt because I was scared to get hurt again. However, the song gave me all I needed to cast the fear aside.

I got on the stage and stopped Astrid, shocking her when I grabbed her hand, then turned her to face me. When the crowd started shouting _kiss_ like how it happened at the wedding; I wasn't running away this time. I kissed Astrid softly, and that spark burst into a flame. Now, Astrid and I weren't a couple, but I intended on asking her before the night was over. At the moment, we were still on stage with her laying her head on my chest after I told her that I liked her too.

"We should get down now," Astrid mentioned and I nodded to her as I held her hand and we walked off stage, then back to our seats.

"You got one hell of a set of pipes, girl," Dahlia mentioned with a smile as I saw Astrid put her head down a bit.

"Thank you," Astrid said.

"Seriously, that was amazing, Astrid. I did not know you could sing; much more like _that_ ," I informed.

"I'm…a massive fan of Celine Dion, and it was always a dream of mine to see one of her concerts live, and hopefully get a chance to sing with her," Astrid smiled.

"Hey, uh, where's Cami?" I wondered.

"Well, after Cody, Thuggory, and I held her back from running on stage to stop you from kissing Astrid, she left," Eret stated.

"I should go talk to her," I sighed.

"Hiccup, no. Okay? Camicazi is playing you like an instrument. The day you passed out flying on Toothless, Camicazi saved you because she'd been hanging around the base, spying. One of the others leaving earlier in the day saw her and texted me. Camicazi has been waiting for her moment to get back into your life," Thuggory said. What? "And I bet my life that she's outside the lounge, waiting for you to come out so she can continue to weasel her way in," When Thuggory put it like that; I couldn't exactly say he was wrong because it sounded exactly like something Camicazi would do.

"And I've seen her at the park with a guy, making out while Stormfly and I were on our way to work," Astrid said lightly with her hand on my arm, then showed me a picture from her phone. "I only took it in case she tried to pull this shit with you,"

"That's the guy I found her in bed with. I had a feeling something wasn't right," I muttered. "I don't know if I should mad at her for doing it or myself for believing the act. Either way, I'm putting a stop to this. Now," I said as I held Astrid's hand, then headed for the exit. I knew the others were following us, wanting to see how this moment went. Getting outside, I saw Camicazi standing there. As soon as she saw me, she tried to run forward, but I snapped my fingers as Toothless got up and blocked her.

"Hi-Hiccup?" Camicazi asked in a choked voice, shocked at the action.

"Enough, Camicazi. I don't feel like hearing more excuses, or lies out of your mouth," I turned away from her. "Just go. We're done here; it's over, for good," Camicazi stood in tears and shock. "As for you, Milady," I looked at Astrid. "Up for a late dinner, so maybe we can talk a bit about these feelings we have for one another?"

Astrid blushed a little, then nodded to me. "I'm starved after that song; I didn't really eat before coming here," Astrid shrugged.

"Really? You're calling her what you always called me, and you're not even dating?" Camicazi remarked.

"The _milady_ thing is something I've always done to a pretty girl; it wasn't a pet or nickname for you," I rolled my eyes. "See you guys later," I added as Astrid and I began to walk away.

=Normal POV=

Camicazi hated it! First Astrid beats her at singing, now taking Hiccup away!? No, she wouldn't stand for it. Camicazi pointed her finger at Astrid as Mimic fired a blast towards her, but last minute, Hiccup moved into her place unaware of the acid blast heading for him. Astrid looked back to wave to her friends, and saw what was aiming for Hiccup. Instinctively, Astrid let go of Hiccup's hand and pushed him away from her, then she jumped back as the acid landed. Hiccup looked at the acid, Astrid, then Camicazi and Mimic. Astrid glared as she marched over to Camicazi.

"Alright, that's it!" Astrid stated while standing right in front of her.

Camicazi shoved Astrid back. "Get out of my face, Hofferson,"

"Why do you insist on hurting him?! Are you that fucking desperate? You had no problem hooking up with other guys while he was away. You didn't want him then, why now!?" Astrid demanded.

"I made a mistake! Everyone does it; I'm sure you're no saint either!" Camicazi yelled now.

"Perhaps not, but at least I own up to mine and _learn_ from them! You, on the other hand, just keep telling lies and doing the same thing that lost you Hiccup in the first place! I've said it to you once, and I will tell you again; I will not allow you to keep hurting him," Astrid shot back.

"I'm the liar when you said back in July you weren't trying to take him away?! And here you are, the same place as me, and look who he kissed! I almost had him back, and then you ruined it!" Camicazi growled.

"And if you loved Hiccup like you claim to, and were meant to be then you wouldn't have fucking cheated on him for six god damn months while he was DEPLOYED!" Astrid screamed at Camicazi now, making Cami take a step back at the anger.

"You wouldn't even know Hiccup without me!" Camicazi countered, still in tears.

"It doesn't matter. I do know him, and I am in his life as a friend or more for as long as he desires it to be so. Everything that happens in this life, happens for a reason. So it goes without saying that if things happened this way, then it's supposed to be this way! You need to grow the fuck up, and take responsibility for what YOU did! Nobody made you be unfaithful to Hiccup, that was your choice on a foolish assumption that just because he was busy fighting in the war didn't mean he cared any less about you! Do you want a little truth? I've had a crush on Hiccup since Senior Year, but did I pursue it? No, because you were my friend, and I couldn't do that to you. I haven't been trying to take him away, Cami, it's just how things worked out. These are the consequences of your actions, now deal with them like an adult!" Astrid scolded.

The area was quiet; the friends in shock of Camicazi picking a verbal fight with Astrid, and then getting schooled. Astrid stared at Camicazi for a moment, then she turned to walk away. Camicazi narrowed her eyes as she stepped forward and pushed Astrid into the brick wall of the building. Astrid hit hard, the stopped a minute before pushing herself off of it and turning to see Camicazi there, glaring at her.

"What the hell is your problem?!" Hiccup asked angrily. "Astrid, are you alright?"

"Yeah. I'm fine," Astrid replied as she checked her lip for blood, thankfully, she found none. Casting her eyes to Camicazi, she faced her once more. "That is twice you have put your hands on me when I've done nothing to you. If you do it again, I will be far less forgiving. Consider this your last warning to back off,"

"I'm not afraid of you," Camicazi stated.

"Camicazi, that's enough!" Hiccup stated.

"You're taking this way too far," Heather mentioned softly. "Astrid's right. You chose to cheat on Hiccup, and he is free to be with whomever he wants,"

"Just leave Astrid alone; attacking her isn't going to make Hiccup come back to you," Thuggory stated.

"You stay out of this. If you hadn't left her then she wouldn't be going after my boyfriend," Camicazi argued.

"Thuggory and I broke up on mutual terms, Camicazi! Thuggory still had feelings for his ex at the time; that woman is now his girlfriend again. And I had the crush on Hiccup. Thug and I together we decided that it wasn't fair to be together when we weren't giving all of our heart to the other one," Astrid informed.

"I'm not your boyfriend anymore! I want nothing to do with you!" Hiccup yelled.

"Nothing you do is going to bring Hiccup back, Camicazi. Accept it, and move on," Eret remarked. Camicazi looked at the others, seeing everyone not pleased with her behavior. Finally, Camicazi threw herself at Astrid, punching her in the side of the mouth, then yanked her to the ground. Camicazi tried to climb over to keep attacking, but Astrid stopped her hands, then kicked her off. Astrid stood up panting, then she removed her coat, and shoes while throwing her hair up in a messy bun. Next, Astrid brought hands up to defend herself.

"Oh, you want to fight me now?" Camicazi taunted.

"Cami, stop this!" Ruffnut demanded.

"You attacked me first. Anything I do from here is self-defense," Astrid stated. Camicazi went after her again as Astrid used her back arm to deflect Camicazi's punch, then the front one to push her back. Camicazi went again as Astrid twirled herself and Camicazi nearly lose her balance. Astrid pushed her down as Camicazi turned over to look at her.

"Camicazi, that's enough!" Hiccup yelled at her. Camicazi went after Astrid, tackling her down and punching her repeatedly, but Astrid kept her arms up to block as many as she could. Finally, Astrid used her elbow to hit Cami in the cheek and make her back off to the point Astrid could lock her leg around Camicazi's, then roll her onto her back. Astrid grabbed a handful of Camicazi's hair and pulled her to her feet; Camicazi got a hold of Astrid's hair while the two went at it. Astrid was merely trying to defend herself from Camicazi's assault. Camicazi grabbed at Astrid's shirt, and when Astrid pulled away, it came off. However, the first thing anyone noticed was Astrid wearing a sports bra, and she was revealing a two-pack of abs.

Camicazi charged once more, but Astrid had more than enough of this petty fighting. Camicazi ran for Astrid once more. However, Astrid dropped into a crouch as she span an out-stretched leg and knocked Camicazi on her ass. Cami quickly recovered as she got up and went to punch Astrid again, but Astrid turned herself, avoided the strike by letting it go by the side of her head. Astrid grabbed Camicazi's wrist, then arm before throwing the woman over her shoulder so she'd land on her back. Astrid pulled Camicazi up, the shoved her into the wall while using an arm at her throat to keep her in place. "Give it up because you don't stand a chance. I'm trained to fight MMA style. Now, I'm gonna let you go, and if you make one more attempt to attack me, I'm going to immobilize you, and then teach you a lesson. Do we understand one another?"

Camicazi forced a shaky nod as Astrid removed her arm and stepped back. Astrid bent over while walking to get her shirt, and then Camicazi charged from behind. Astrid turned and kicked Cami in the side to make her bend, then used her elbow to hit the back of Camicazi's neck. Astrid picked Camicazi up and threw her into the wall again. "Stormfly. Immobilize!" Astrid commanded. Stormfly whipped her tail, only firing enough spines to pin Camicazi in place to the wall so she couldn't move. Astrid grabbed her phone from her purse as she opened the dial pad, tapped a few things, and then put it on speaker phone as it picked up.

" _911, what is your emergency?"_ asked a male voice.

"I was just assaulted outside of Singing Stars Karaoke Lounge by one of my friend's ex-girlfriend, and would like to press charges," Astrid stated.

" _May I have your name please?"_

"Astrid Hofferson," Astrid said. The line was quiet a moment.

" _You know I have to inform your father about this, don't you?"_ the man replied.

"Yes. You can tell him I'm okay and have my attacker immobilized and conscious, also that I'm safe," Astrid told him. Astrid was put on hold as she looked at the others, who were in shock of what she was doing. Yet, they couldn't blame her.

" _Miss. Hofferson? Your father has given strict instructions for you to stay put, and he's on his way with two officers to deal with the matter,"_ the dispatcher enlightened.

"I copy those orders," Astrid said, and then hung up as she faced Camicazi, who now looked terrified. "I warned you that I was going to teach you a lesson if you persisted," she stated. "And in case you are all wondering what that was all about; my father is Chief of Police," she added before pulling her shirt back on, then coat, and shoes. Hiccup wasn't sure what to say; he just watched his ex physically attack Astrid, then get out on her ass, now facing assault charges. Hiccup was disappointed in Camicazi and impressed with Astrid. However, he assumed with all this tonight, they might have to wait to talk. Hiccup didn't mind though, he expected Astrid would want to go home and get some rest since the night was just about over once this was handled. For now, all they could do was wait for the police to arrive and pray to the Gods that this never happened again.


	22. Chapter 22

**No Matter What**

Rated: M

Pairings: Hiccup X Astrid

Disclaimer; I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, but I do own the rights to my OC characters!

 **Chapter Twenty-Two**

=Astrid's POV=

I could have knocked Camicazi on her ass for attacking me. I could have done it and not felt an ounce of remorse over it. However, that wasn't the type of person I am. I didn't fight her, I defended myself, and there was no law against that. I purposely said that to her, so she would know that she hit me first. I made so many hints that if she didn't stop, she wouldn't like the outcome. And now, my friends and I were standing outside waiting for my the police to arrive. See, I never told anyone that my father is Garet Hofferson, and that he's the Police Chief of Archian Island Police Department. Nobody put two and two together that we were related. There were a lot of people with the same last name, so nobody suspected that I would be his daughter until I mentioned it. I tell people that my dad is a surgeon, but that is a defense so his enemies can't come after his family. I saw everyone's shocked faces about the information because to them; it means I lied. I told everyone that unfortunately because they saw the whole attack, they had to stay as witnesses, which seemed to be fine by them. I made the call a little under six minutes ago, and I suspected that my dad would be pulling up any second.

I didn't want things to be this way, but I was not going to deal with Camicazi coming at me in anger that she lost Hiccup when it was her own fault. I told her that she would be learning a lesson, and I did not go back on what I said. Everyone else wanted to be disappointed or shocked, but they would do anything to stop her, so I would. Finally, my father arrived and then another car holding two officers did as well. My dad stepped out, and looked around at the scene to see my friends against the wall, just waiting, and then Camicazi still pinned to the wall by spines that were embedded in her coat.

"Alright, first things first; is anyone hurt?" my father, Garet, asked.

"No, sir. The fight was between Camicazi and Astrid," Fishlegs informed.

"Astrid, are you okay?" Garet inquired while looking at my face.

"I got slammed into the wall and on the ground a few times, took a few hits to the face and side, but I don't assume any of that will show up right away," I answered.

"Now, how did this happen?" Garet questioned.

"I confessed to liking Camicazi's ex-boyfriend, Hiccup, and she didn't like it because she wants him back, but he doesn't want her. Hiccup and I were leaving to get a late dinner, and talk about things, and Camicazi had her Changewing, Mimic, shoot acid at us. We moved, and exchanged words, then she pushed me. As I was preparing to walk away a second time, she shoved me into the wall. I warned her not to do it again, and then less than five minutes later, she came at me, and punched me in the face. I was pulled to the ground, got up, then put my hands up in defense, but she hit me first. After eight or so minutes, I got her against the wall and told her to stop. I let her go, and warned her that if she attacked me again, I would immobilize her, and teach her a lesson. As soon as I walked away, she tried. So I had Stormfly pin her there, and called the police," I explained.

"Is that what all of you saw?" asked an officer.

"Yes. Camicazi threw the first attack, and Astrid defended herself. None of us stepped in, but we did try to tell Camicazi to stop," Hiccup said.

"Are you pressing charges, Astrid?" Garet wondered.

"I am. I gave ample warnings for her to cease, and she refused," I stated.

"Understood. Officer Anker, will you please unpin the girl from the wall, then cuff her, and escort her to the back of the car. Officer Hansen, see if the lounge will be kind enough to let us see the outside front cameras. Astrid, why don't you head home?" Garet suggested.

"Yes, father," I nodded, then began walking towards Stormfly. However, all the fighting made my body hurt more than it had been before, and I was sure I might have messed up my ankle some more. As soon as I took a step, my ankle got weak, and I stumbled. Thankfully, I was caught by Hiccup.

"Are you alright?" Hiccup asked.

"Y-Yeah, don't worry," I replied. I tried to walk again, and was now limping.

"Astrid, you said you weren't hurt, and you're limping," Garet sighed.

"I'm okay, Daddy. I slipped and fell at work on Thursday, and my ankle had been hurting from that," I enlightened.

"Did you go to the hospital?" Garet questioned.

"No, I just went back to Uncle Finn's to rest," I admitted.

"Were you limping on Thursday?" Throk inquired as I shook my head no to him. "The moving around during the fight might have made it worse, Astrid. You should go get it checked," he said.

"Go to the hospital, Astrid. That's an order," Garet commanded. I sighed heavily, and nodded to him. "Can you fly there by yourself?"

"I should be able to," I replied trying to climb up on Stormfly, but it hurt to try and pull myself up. I ended up holding my side.

"That's a no," Garet closed his eyes.

"Dad, I'm fine, I insisted.

"I could take her, Mr. Hofferson," Hiccup offered. "With your permission?"

"As I have to stay here to get statements, then get the other girl processed; yes, you have my permission. Take her to the emergency room, and I will call head saying that you are bringing her in and have permission to sit with her until I arrive, and at that time, get your statement too. Your name, son?" Garet asked.

"Hiccup Haddock," Hiccup replied. Garet nodded as Hiccup took the sign; he whistled for Toothless who came right over, and then he got on his back. Hiccup offered his hand to me as I took it and climbed on in front of him. After that, Toothless launched into the sky with us on him, and then Stormfly following.

=Normal POV=

 _{Archian General}_

Upon reaching the hospital, Astrid was carried inside by Hiccup, and once she gave her name, Astrid was taken inside the emergency room with Hiccup allowed in as well. Astrid had to provide all the standard information about herself, then explained the injury from work, and that it might have gotten worse because of the fight with a friend's ex. Astrid was sent to X-Ray as Hiccup waited in the room for her to return. Once she did, Astrid was sitting on the bed with her ankle out and on a pillow as instructed by the doctor while they went over the X-Rays.

"The original injury from the fall I suspect might have been a grade one sprain as you stated that it happened on Thursday the 24th. With all the movement tonight, and explaining that your ankle gave out when you tried to put weight on it; I'm going to safely assume that it's become a grade two," the emergency room doctor informed.

"What does that mean?" Astrid asked.

"It means that your ankle should heal with proper care in about four to six weeks. We're going to give you a plastic air-stirrup to use; it prevents sudden movement so you don't injure yourself farther. I'll suggest that you walk slow, and try to put a little weight on it each day so it doesn't become too stiff and remains strong. I'll prescribe you Percocets for pain," the doctor stated.

"What are my limits?" Astrid inquired softly.

"Walk slow, don't put weight on it for an extended period of time. Try to avoid stairs, and don't lift over fifteen pounds, and no dragon riding for more than ten minutes. Also, I am excusing you from work until cleared by your primary care physician," the woman said. Astrid sighed a bit, and nodded as she understood. "Alright, I'm gonna go start on your paperwork for discharge," she smiled, then exited the room.

"I don't see how this could get any worse." Astrid mumbled.

"Well, you could not be allowed do anything," Hiccup suggested as Astrid shot him an unamused look. "So since we're here; you've had a crush on me since Senior Year?"

Astrid instantly blushed a little, then sighed before nodding. "Yeah. It was…the day you surprised Camicazi with being done at Boot Camp. When we touched hands, I don't know what it was. I felt…a surge go through me, and got butterflies. And over time, it just grew into more. When did…you start liking me?"

"The night you stood up for me to Camicazi at Heather and Fishleg's wedding. Saying that you wouldn't let her hurt me anymore, and that you'd be here for me, to help fix my heart so that one day I could give it to someone who would give me all of theirs in return," Hiccup admitted.

"When I heard about what happened, I just…my heart went to you, and I actually prayed that day to be able to run into you, so I could make sure you were okay. And then I ran into you in May, and I've had the best time being about to talk to you all the time, hang out. My feelings for you just become deeper, and I had been waiting for the right moment to say something," Astrid informed lightly.

"So…That's what you meant earlier tonight when you said that you sing when the moment's right," Hiccup mentioned as Astrid nodded. "Can I ask you something else?" Astrid motioned for him to continue. "Camicazi and I have been broken up since February 2012, and you've liked me since November 2009 when you met me?" Astrid nodded once. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"I wanted to give you time to heal," Astrid said.

"Honestly, I think I got over her the night of the wedding, when I started feeling something for you," Hiccup smiled.

"I...have a confession to make, Hiccup, and I hope you won't be upset with me," Astrid began as she looked down. "There was a reason I was at the Singing Stars tonight, and it was because Thuggory called me to come,"

"I don't understand?" Hiccup tilted his head slightly.

"At the beginning of October, Thuggory called me and asked me about something from our break up; if the person I had been crushing on was you. I told him it was, and when he asked me why I didn't give a name back then. I said it was because he's your best friend, and you were with Camicazi at the time. Anyway, at the time, I just accepted that I'd probably never get a chance with you, but I'd…still hoped for one. However, when you and Cami broke up, I realized I could get an opportunity. I don't know, it's still weird to me, but Thuggory called me to tell me about Camicazi saving you from your fall, and that she was weasling her way into your life again. Thuggory asked me to come to the Singing Stars because you and Cami would be there. Thuggory told me to get Cami to show her true colors by out-singing her, and using that song to tell you how I feel for you," Astrid explained. "Thuggory and I knew she would hurt you again, and that's why I was there tonight, to make sure it didn't happen, and hopefully get you to see that I liked you, and wanted a chance to love you as you deserved to be,"

"Wow. I, uh, was not expecting to hear that," Hiccup blinked.

"I'm sorry," Astrid looked down.

"What? No, no. Astrid, I didn't mean it as a bad response. I'm…shocked that you and Thuggory worked together to…protect me. And even tonight, you pushing me out of the way from the acid blast. You are just…amazing, Astrid. I've…never met someone like you, and honestly, I like the feeling I get being around someone I know has my back, and likes me the same as I do her." Hiccup revealed.

"I'll always be here for you, Hiccup. Friend or lover; I just want to be in your life, somehow," Astrid said as Hiccup put his hand on hers.

"Well, I'm glad to know that I'll always have you as a friend, Astrid," Hiccup said as he leaned in close with a smile as neither of them noticed Garet walk in, or the other friends. "And I hope I'm not overstepping any boundaries by saying here and now that I want more than friendship. I-I want to ask if you'll be my girlfriend, Astrid?"

"I'd be honored," Astrid replied as Hiccup leaned in and kissed her, Astrid returned it gently. Garet cleared his throat.

"I'm just going on record to say that if you hurt my little girl, boy, it's you who will find himself beaten, and pinned to the brick wall with Nadder spines. We understand one another?" Garet said.

"Daddy!" Astrid screeched with a blush.

"Consequences understood, Mr. Hofferson. I don't think you have to worry though. I can't hurt the girl who put my heart back together, and now holds it because I'll only end up hurting myself for being an idiot if I lose her," Hiccup replied.

"Well said," Garet smiled as he patted Hiccup's back, then moved next to Astrid, kissing her forehead.

"I'll protect yours if you protect mine," Astrid told Hiccup.

"Done and done, Milady," Hiccup offered a bow as they shared another short, simple kiss. After that, the doctor came in to have Astrid sign her discharge paperwork, and explain her at-home care instructions. When that was over, Astrid was fitted for an air-support brace, and assisted out by her father and new boyfriend, Hiccup. Garet helped Astrid into his squad car, and she commanded Stormfly to fly to Uncle Finn's house. After Hiccup said he would text her, they said their goodbyes and the Hofferson's left. Hiccup got on Toothless, smiling broadly. Astrid and he were boyfriend and girlfriend now, and he couldn't wait to see where this new relationship went, but he already had a good feeling.


	23. Chapter 23

**No Matter What**

Rated: M

Pairings: Hiccup X Astrid

Disclaimer; I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, but I do own the rights to my OC characters!

 **Chapter Twenty-Three**

=Normal POV=

 _{March 2013}_

Almost five months of dating as Hiccup and Astrid were still going strong. Not much had happened since the night they got together at the hospital. Camicazi faced a judge and avoided jail time by being sentenced to six months probation, and having to pay a $1,000 fine. Camicazi didn't have to worry about going drug testing, or anything like that, but she did have to attend counseling, and anger management. Also, during this six months, Camicazi couldn't contact Astrid at all. Camicazi didn't have any excuses for the judge, she admitted that she was fueled by jealousy over Astrid and Hiccup liking one another when she had been trying to get him back after losing him because of her own stupidity. Much belief fell on the fact that Camicazi admitted to what she did, and that is why she was only fined and put on probation. Hiccup's birthday had passed, and he was now twenty-one. Eret, Thuggory, and Cody took him out, but his father and Gobber strolled along too so they could enjoy the festivities and one of them could be designated driver for the boys. Hiccup got wasted, and Astrid came over to his apartment the next morning to help him with the hangover.

Astrid's ankle healed by the beginning of December, and now she was on the Archian State Racing League! Yes, Astrid had done it, and thanked Hiccup over and over again for his help in mastering all the skills and speed she needed to make the team. Thanksgiving and Christmas were enjoyable; Hiccup and Astrid were able to see one another for both, and exchanged gifts. Hiccup got Astrid necklace that had a gold heart with her birthstone in the middle, and Astrid got Hiccup a silver dog tag that had a heart shape cut out of it and the words; _I Carry Your Heart_. However, there was a second piece to this, a heart ring with a heart on it reading; _With Me_. The symbolism of this gift was that Astrid carried Hiccup's heart with her. It meant a lot to both of them, it's how their relationship started; Astrid picked up the pieces of Hiccup's heart, and put it back together, so he gave it to her to protect it. Hiccup's gift to Astrid represented that he loved her heart of gold. Hiccup and Astrid rang in the New Year with their friends.

Tuffnut and Stilsta had been dating for thirteen months; things were going well for them. Snotlout and Asta reached a year back in September of 2012. Kirsten and Cody got engaged on New Years Day, the start of 2013, and were planning their wedding for Winter of 2014. Brittany and Thuggory have almost been together for two years since they got back together in May of 2011. Throk and Ruffnut were tying the knot next month on the 13th of April. Heather and Fishlegs were waiting to have kids until after they reached the one-year mark of marriage. Eret and Dahlia were expecting a child; due in August 2013. Dahlia conceived in November, and found out just in time to announce it on Christmas. Everyone was doing fantastic in their lives, and they were happy; it was all anyone could ask for. Today, though, was Astrid's twenty-first birthday, and since Hiccup and his Marine friends were the only ones who were of age to drink, they were taking her out to enjoy the night. Kristen, Dahlia, and Brittany were coming too, and Dahlia would obviously not be drinking as she is four months pregnant. The only reason they pushed it back so long was that Astrid had race practice from 7:30 am to 1 pm, and then a small work shift from 1:30 pm to 6 pm.

 _{6:45 pm}_

The seven friends reached the restaurant parking lot a bit later than planned, and waited outside as the birthday girl had not arrived yet.

"Does Astrid know we're meeting for 6:30-7 pm?" Thuggory asked.

"Yeah, I told her this morning in a text when she was on her way to race practice, but she never replied. I assume she's just running behind because she wanted to go home, shower, and change before coming out with us," Hiccup shrugged as he pulled out his phone, and pulled up the text messages with his girlfriend. The last letter he sent was at 7:17 am, and there hadn't been a response at all, so he was truthfully a bit worried. Hiccup tried to call her, but no answer.

"Well, maybe we should call her job, and ask if she's still there and running behind?" Kirsten offered. Hiccup shrugged and called Astrid's place of employment, and put it on speakerphone. It rang twice, then picked up.

" _Hello, Berkvilla Ristorante. How can I help you?"_ came a female voice.

"Uh, hi. I'm looking for my girlfriend, Astrid Hofferson?" Hiccup asked.

" _One moment, please?"_ the woman replied, then there were distant voices speaking before the phone was picked up once more. _"I'm sorry about that. I'm afraid Astrid isn't here this evening; my manager informed me that she called out this morning,"_ Why would Astrid call out?

"Did…she say why?" Hiccup inquired.

" _I believe the reason given was that she wasn't feeling well,"_ the women informed.

"Alright, thank you," Hiccup said, then hung up.

"Maybe that's why she hasn't answered you today; she's sick?" Eret offered.

"I'm gonna head to her uncles and check on her. You coming?" Hiccup questioned. The friends nodded as they loaded up on their dragons or got into their cars, and followed after Hiccup to Finn Hofferson's house, though, it was actually an apartment with two bedrooms on the first floor.

 _{Apartment of Finn Hofferson}_

Hiccup knocked on the door, and about a minute later, it opened revealing a miserable looking Astrid.

"Hey, beautiful," Hiccup smiled a little.

"Ugh, I look horrible right now," Astrid mumbled.

"Nah," Hiccup kissed her forehead, and she felt warm.

"I'm sorry I missed the dinner. I meant to text you back this morning, but one of the other rider's dragon was having an off morning and well," Astrid shrugged as she grabbed her phone off the living room table and showed it to him, revealing that it was burnt and had a huge hole from what Hiccup assumed was a Nadder spine. "Around 11:20 am, I started feeling sick, threw up at practice, and got sent home. I called out of work from Uncle Finn's cell phone, and then went out and bought me a new one as his gift to me for my birthday. The only problem is that I have no idea how to do anything on it because it's not like my old one," she huffed a bit.

"Where's your uncle now?" Thuggory asked.

"Working until close at 1 am, then probably home by 1:30-2 am," Astrid replied.

"Your home sick alone?" Dahlia frowned.

"I'm okay," Astrid smiled some. "I'm actually feeling a little better than before. You wanna come in for a bit? I'm kind'a bored of being cooped up," she offered.

'You should be resting," Kirsten reminded.

"I can't sleep more if I tried, and I'm sick of laying down. You know me, Hiccup, I can't sit still," Astrid giggled a bit as Hiccup nodded and walking inside, then the friends did too. Astrid closed the door as she sat down next to Hiccup and laid on his shoulder.

"Well, if no one else is going to say it, I will. Happy birthday, Astrid," Hiccup told his girlfriend gently.

"Thank you. Sorry again for missing the night we planned," Astrid frowned.

"Eh, don't worry about it. We can go out drinking anytime, after you're feeling better, of course," Brittany smiled. Astrid loved that even though she was Thuggory's ex-girlfriend, she and Brittany got along just fine.

"So, how was practice up until you started feeling sick, babe?" Hiccup asked.

"Average. Warm up, trials, racing against one another, general equipment fixes," Astrid stated.

"When is the first race of the season?" Cody inquired.

"Uh, I don't know actually. I think they're still working on the schedule, but we should know by May at the latest," Astrid replied. "How was work for you boys today?"

"Eventful. Our day mostly consists of training. We're in for the first formation at 6:30 am, then allowed to leave around 4, or 5 pm. We'll do PT for a bit, breakfast, assigned tasks for the day, lunch, more tasks, final formation, then home. It's a straightforward day, we just never do the same thing every day," Eret remarked.

"Yep, and then occasionally there is mission training to keep ourselves sharp for deployments," Thuggory added.

"And it's like that every day?" Astrid asked.

"Yep," Hiccup nodded.

"Sounds exhausting," Dahlia yawned.

"You guys don't have to stay with me; I know it's kind'a boring from the night we planned," Astrid giggled a bit.

"Yeah, I'll stay with her. Head on home," Hiccup nodded.

"Alright, man. Happy birthday again, Astrid," Cody smiled. Astrid returned it as the other three couples left the house leaving only Hiccup and Astrid there.

"Still not feeling well, huh?" Hiccup asked her.

"It's not bad, at least I don't feel like throwing up anymore," Astrid said.

"True. How did it all start, symptom wise?" Hiccup wondered.

"Well, I'm not sure. Started with waking up tired I guess, then turned into a headache. After that I got nauseous, tried to stay on the water, but as soon as I was in the air to practice obstacles; I couldn't hold it back. Stormfly landed and I threw up in the nearest trash bin twice. I got checked out by the medics, and after determining that I had a fever of 101.5, they sent me home, so I've been here since," Astrid explained.

Hiccup checked her forehead, "You still feel pretty warm, babe. You really should be resting,"

"I know, but I just can't sleep, Hic. I'm so uncomfortable. I love my uncle to death, but the bed I'm using here is so…old, and the room is a bit drafty too," Astrid sighed.

"Well, stay out here on the couch then, and I'll take care of you," Hiccup suggested.

"I don't wanna take away your whole night," Astrid muttered.

"I had my whole night dedicated to celebrating your birthday anyway, so either way, I'm still spending it with you," Hiccup smiled.

"Awe, you're the best," Astrid told him. Hiccup got up and let her lay down, then he covered her up. Hiccup got her a small garbage can; to keep close in case she didn't reach the bathroom in time, then an ice water.

"Not tired huh?" Hiccup asked her, Astrid shook her head gently with a smile. "Well, we can just sit here find a way to occupy our time. Want to watch a movie? Talk? I'd suggest make out, but then I might end up sick," he continued as Astrid laughed a little.

"So, rain check on the making out?" Astrid wondered.

"Whatever you want when you're better. We'll go out for your birthday, just us," Hiccup informed.

"Can't wait," Astrid smiled. "Alright, so I'm curious about something with you working,"

"Go on," Hiccup invited.

"You work every day from 6:30 to 4, or 5 pm, weekends off except for once a month you have to live there. Why?" Astrid looked at him.

"Well, the five days a week is actual…work, shall we say. I do get Saturday and Sunday off, but the first weekend of every month is training. We use for…deployment situations, preparing for them, and staying sharp. We do radio practice, mission scenarios, shooting, gas chamber, etc. The week work is cleaning our weapons, the barracks, bathrooms, showers, organization, moving things from one spot to another, washing the vehicles and doing maintenance. All that. Oh, but we do have a yearly AT, or Annual Training. Unfortunately, that's two weeks where I'm away training for a deployment setting, and also we re-qualify our marksmanship levels, and possibly go out for a promotion if we've done everything else reach one," Hiccup explained.

"Oh, well, doesn't that sound like so much fun. Do I get to talk to you during _AT_? I know during your drill, we don't get to talk until your meals or settling in for the night," Astrid questioned.

"Well, we might not be able to get any phone conversations in, but I'll be able to text in between things. Don't worry, I won't ghost on you without warning," Hiccup vowed.

"I'll hold you to that," Astrid laid her head back on the couch pillow. "Now, why did you make Corporal, and the others didn't?"

"That would be because in the Marines, Infantry Battalions break down to the smallest team, and each of those is led by a Corporal. You remember, I told you about the way things condense," Hiccup said. "It's given to the service men and women who show they have the qualities of Corporal. I'm a leader, and I'm good at running operations,"

"Makes sense," Astrid laughed a little, then groaned and held her stomach.

"Don't laugh, you'll throw up. Rest, Milady. I will be right here if you need anything, and I'll set your new phone up for you too," Hiccup offered.

"Thank you," Astrid smiled lightly at him as she yawned, then nestled into the pillow as Hiccup kissed her cheek. About ten minutes later; Astrid was fast asleep. Hiccup decided to tidy up a little for her, and then he sat down with Astrid's new phone on the charger while he messed with the settings and added some of the contacts he knew she used to have. Sure, it sucked she was sick on her birthday, but he was doing exactly what he planned to do this evening; spend it with her. Hiccup was certain that he didn't just like Astrid anymore, he was falling in love with her. Being with Astrid was different than it was with Camicazi, and Hiccup wondered if that meant he'd found his soulmate. In either case, he was happy with Astrid, and as long as he was that, he wasn't changing how things were.


	24. Chapter 24

**No Matter What**

Rated: M

Pairings: Hiccup X Astrid

Disclaimer; I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, but I do own the rights to my OC characters!

 **Chapter Twenty-Four**

=Astrid's POV=

 _{May 2013}_

I couldn't believe Hiccup and I have been dating for seven months! Ah, it was exciting to know we'd been together for more than half of a year, and we loved being in a relationship. Hiccup is a fantastic man; he's kind, caring, funny, sarcastic, understanding, and I was madly in love with him. Yep, I could say it now. Actually, Hiccup and I both said it to one another; it felt right too. I believe I said it to him first, the next morning after my twenty-first birthday. Hiccup ended up falling asleep in the chair when my Uncle Finn got home, and since it was about 2:30 am, he just let Hiccup and I stay in the living room. When Hiccup was sure I'd be taken care of by my uncle, he left because he had a few errands to run. I told Hiccup that day that I love him, and surprisingly, he said it back. Here we are now in May, and things were going splendidly. Hiccup and I talked all the time in text messages, or at night. Hiccup would come to my uncle's place for dinner, sometimes I would go to his apartment, which was beautiful. On the weekends, Hiccup and I would go on dates, spend time together, or sometimes we would do a dinner date during the week when he got out of work and it so happened that I didn't have to work that night.

Of course, it didn't matter right now because it was race season. What that means is that from the beginning of May to the end of September there are races, meet and greets, appearances, autographs, pictures, interviews, etc. From October to December is offseason where we don't do anything really. January to April is practice for the upcoming season. Interesting year, right? So from October to May, I worked my side job, the restaurant, for a little extra cash. I was hoping to get my own apartment, but perhaps I wouldn't. Things with Hiccup and I were going extraordinarily well, so maybe I would live with him. I wasn't sure, but had time to think about it. Hiccup had said he wouldn't mind, but I didn't know if I was ready to make that kind of commitment. I only say that because Hiccup and Camicazi were together four years, and they never lived together. I was aware, though, that Camicazi and Hiccup started dating when they were teenagers. Hiccup and I were twenty-one, and have only been dating seven months. I suppose I shouldn't be worried about it just yet. Hiccup said it was only a suggestion because his apartment happened to be right in between his military base and the race course and training center.

Did I mention that Throk and Ruffnut were married now? Yep, they got hitched last month, and it was lovely to attend. Hiccup and I went together of course, and we didn't see Camicazi this time. I assumed that after the altercation she and I had, my friends were able to see that she wasn't good company. Yet, I had another theory; that I had been friends with them longer, and they knew that with Camicazi, Hiccup, and I in the same room together might not be a swell idea. Either way, I didn't mind. I knew Cami's probation was over now, but we still had a no-contact order in effect. However, back to Ruff; she was now Mrs. Ruffnut Wington, and the two were living happily together in their apartment. Oh, Tuffnut and Stilsta are expecting a baby! Yep, Stilsta found out in April that she got pregnant in February when she and Tuff made love on their one year anniversary of dating. Stilsta is now about twelve weeks along; she and Tuffnut are very excited to welcome a child into the world, and I suspected there might be marriage in the future for them too. Dahlia and Eret were preparing for the birth of their daughter. Yes, the gender was revealed to be a girl, and now they were working on picking a name for her. Dahlia is now about six months along, and her pregnancy is going wonderfully.

Other than that, everyone's lives were where they wanted to be it seemed. For me mainly because I had a great family, out of this world friends, my dream career, and the best boyfriend in the known universe. I literally could not ask for more than I had right now. Of course, there were still things I wanted; marriage, a family of my own, but I knew that I didn't need it right now. Eventually, but not at the moment. Today, I was excited, it was the first race of the season! Unfortunately, Hiccup was working but promised he would catch it on TV at the base. I was nervous, but that was okay; I was ready for this.

=Normal POV=

 _{Berkville Military Base}_

"Hiccup! Come on, man, we're going to lunch," Eret called.

"I'm coming, hang on. I gotta get my headphones, so I can watch Astrid's first race. I promised," Hiccup stated as he grabbed them from Toothless's saddle bag, then followed his friends to the mess hall for their midday meal, which would last two hours total before their next assignment. Reaching the mess hall, the boys got their grub, and took a seat. Hiccup pulled up the live broadcast for the race on his mobile, then plugged his headphones in, turning it up, and leaving one out so he could hear if orders were called. Hiccup watched as there was just talk for a bit; the race didn't start until 12:15 pm, and it was only 12 pm on the dot at the moment. The talk was centered around newly added riders, their dragons, how they are hoping the race to go and all that. The camera would show the racers getting ready and what not.

"Haddock!" called a commanding officer. "No electronics during meals,"

"Aw, come on! It's my girl's first race, and I'm not even touching the thing. Please?" Hiccup pleaded.

"Wait, dragon racing season starts today?" his CO questioned, and Hiccup nodded. "And your girlfriend is one of the racers?"

"Yeah, she…made the team in January. I swore I wouldn't miss her first race. Please, sir?" Hiccup asked. The man, Second Lieutenant Bodil Vinter, motioned for Hiccup to follow him. Hiccup got his phone and did as told. Bodil moved to a wall, and flipped a switch. Suddenly, a large white screen descended. Bodil opened a closet and pulled out a projector, old laptop, and some wires. The man set everything up, then plugged in the cord to connect the computer to the projector.

"Well, then I think we should all get to enjoy the race. Pull up the site," Bodil instructed. Hiccup moved in front of the computer, typed in the website, and once it loaded, he clicked on the live coverage. "Which one is yours?"

"Well, obviously none of the males," Hiccup remarked as his friends laughed. Hiccup waited for the camera to hit Astrid's spot, and he pointed. "That's her; my divine beauty," he smiled. The reporter made his way towards Astrid with a smile.

" _ **The Race Master said you're the newest addition to the team. Would you mind if we had a few moments of your time, Miss?"**_ **the reporter, Sigmund Hummel, inquired.** Astrid turned from her preparations, then give the nod. _**"Can we have yours and your dragon's name, please?"**_

" _ **Sure. I'm Astrid Hofferson, and this is my Deadly Nadder, Stormfly,"**_ **Astrid introduced.**

" _ **Would you tell us a little about yourself?"**_ **Sigmund questioned.**

" _ **Um, well, there isn't much to tell. I bonded to Stormfly at fifteen, graduated from Berkian Dragon Academy in 2010. Uh, I live in the city with my uncle. I work part-time at a restaurant during the offseason. I have great friends, and an amazing boyfriend who I owe all of this too,"**_ **Astrid said motioning to things around her.**

Hiccup blinked a bit. Astrid was giving him credit for her being on the racing league team? _**"Is your boyfriend here in the stands to root you on today for your first race of the season and with the team?"**_ **Sigmund asked.**

Astrid shook her head no with a smile. _**"I'm afraid not. My boyfriend has to work today, and he couldn't get the day off, but I know he's watching from where he is. Hi, babe!"**_ Hiccup chuckled a bit when he saw her wave at the camera.

" _ **He must have a busy job then,"**_ **Sigmund laughed a bit.**

" _ **As a matter of fact, he does. My boyfriend is an Archian State Marine, currently stationed at Berkville Military Base,"**_ **Astrid said.**

" _ **Now, you mentioned that you owe all this to him? Can you give us a little more on that statement?"**_ **Sigmund inquired.**

" _ **Well, I tried out last year and didn't make the team because my times were too slow. My boyfriend and I weren't dating at the time, but he offered to help me out. So we started meeting up at the Arc City Dragon Training Center to work on things. My biggest problem was speed, and he helped me get where I needed to be for tryouts. I made the team because he helped me conquer my fear of turns at high speed. I made the team because of him,"**_ **Astrid admitted.** Hunter was a bit shocked at her response; had he really done that much to help her?

" _ **Does this boyfriend have a name?"**_ **Sigmund wondered.**

" _ **Certainly does. My Marine's name is Hiccup Haddock, and today, I'm racing for him,"**_ **Astrid informed as she jumped on Stormfly's back.** _ **"See ya at the finish line!"**_ **she added before shooting off.**

"Lass is quite fond of you, ain't she?" Bodil patted his back.

"And I feel the same about her," Hiccup replied with a smile as the racers took their mark at the starting line.

" _ **Racers! Are you ready?!"**_ called the announcers as each rider gave a thumbs up. The flaregun fired as they zipped off for the starting eight laps around the track. Hiccup watched intently as Astrid nailed each corner without slowing down just as he'd taught her. Other racers would tip slightly, and one even fell off. After all that, it was time to do the obstacle course.

"Come on, baby girl. You got this; just like we practiced…" Hiccup whispered to himself. Hiccup stared as Astrid was in third place, working her way to first while getting through everything. However, things got scary when the first place racer rammed into Astrid, causing her fall off of Stormfly. "Astrid!" he said in fear. Suddenly, Stormfly whipped around and Astrid caught her tail. After a moment, Stormfly flipped her tail upwards as Astrid landed right into the saddle. "Yes! That's my girl!" Hiccup cheered.

Astrid commanded Stormfly back into position as they shot towards the front using bursts of speed, twirls to squeak through until she got neck and neck with the first place rider. The two countered all the remaining obstacles, and now it was going to be a close call on who one the winner. The lead racer tried to kick Astrid off Stormfly again, only this time, Astrid was ready. Astrid lifted her legs, and crouched in the saddle, doing a handstand to avoid the kick as the man blinked in surprise. Astrid smirked as she laid flat on Stormfly who gave a final push of speed and crossed the finish line first.

Hiccup jumped into the air, thrilled for his girlfriend that she won the race; her first one ever. Astrid nailed the finish with her move, and it was definitely a sight to see. Hiccup was happy for her, and proud that something happened, and she recovered from it to get right back in the race and win it in glorious style! Hiccup would be seeing her tonight, and they would celebrate the win together. Gods, he wished he could be with her right now.

"Go on, lad," Bodil told him.

"What?" Hiccup asked in surprise.

"Givin' ya a half day. Go be with your girl, and tell her awesome job from all of us," Bodil ordered.

"Aye, sir! Thank you!" Hiccup smiled wide with a salute. "Toothless!" he called while rushing out the door, jumping on his Night Fury's back, and then they shot towards the race track in Arc City.

 _{Arc City Race Track}_

Astrid was standing in the winner's circle with everyone around her. Cameras, microphones, everything in her face as people were trying to ask questions. However, the sound of a Night Fury caught their attention as Astrid looked up, then smiled wide. Toothless landed as Hiccup jumped off his back, then walked right up to Astrid.

"Hiccup? What are…you doing here?" Astrid asked in surprise.

"CO gave me half day because of your big victory. We all watched it in the mess hall, and I am wicked proud of you, Milady," Hiccup said as Astrid smiled while Hiccup pulled her into his arms with one arm behind her back, then the other land cupping her cheek. "I love you,"

"I love you too," Astrid replied as Hiccup leaned in and kissed her deeply. Hiccup held it a moment, then they pulled apart. "This is my boyfriend. Corporal Hiccup Haddock of the Archian State Marines, and the reason that I'm on this team, and won today," Astrid introduced, though, her eyes never left Hiccup's green ones. Today was perfect now that Hiccup was there with her to celebrate the winning of her very first race, and they both knew that it would not be her last.


	25. Chapter 25

**No Matter What**

Rated: M

Pairings: Hiccup X Astrid

Disclaimer; I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, but I do own the rights to my OC characters!

 **Chapter Twenty-Five**

=Hiccup's POV=

 _{August 2013}_

Well, it's official. Next month, Astrid and I hit our one year anniversary of dating. I still can't believe we've made it this far, and I love every moment I get to spend with her. I work my five days a week from 6:30 am to 4, or 5 pm except for drill weekend where I get to sleep at the base from Friday to Sunday. Honestly, not much has changed for me lately. Oh, except that Eret and Dahlia had their baby, a daughter they named Hilda Erickson about four days ago. Astrid and I went to the hospital to meet her, and lucky Eret got two weeks off to spend with his wife and newborn. Tuffnut and Stilsta were just three months away from having their child, the gender had yet to be revealed. I personally believed that they knew, and wanted it to be a surprise to everyone else, but hey, I could be wrong. Heather was two months pregnant. Astrid had told me that Heather and Fishlegs wanted to wait until they'd been married a year, and July 2013 had marked that. Heather got pregnant towards the end of June, and told Fishlegs on their anniversary, then everyone else afterward.

Throk and Ruffnut were holding off a bit, wanting to enjoy their marriage as just them for now. I knew that Thuggory was planning to propose to Brittany this coming Christmas, but only Eret, Cody, and I knew about that, and we've been sworn to secrecy. Cody and Kristen set their wedding date finally; Spring of 2014, I believe May was the month chosen, and the day is the 10th. Snotlout and Asta were still dating, but there had been rumors floating around that he might pop the question before the new year. My dad and Gobber were both excellent too. I couldn't even begin to describe how happy I am with how my life is right now, nothing could possibly ruin it. Today was a Friday, and it was the first weekend of the month; that meant it was drill for me. The current time was 5:45 am, I was awake and dressed already, having some coffee before I set out on Toothless to get to the base for my fun-filled weekend of training. At least I had seeing Astrid on Sunday night to look forward too.

 _{Sunday Night}_

I stand corrected on my happiness being compromised. Friday morning arrival to drill was grim, and we were told the news. Deployment to Afghanistan again; for a year. It would be the same place we were last time; Camp Nox, and we were leaving in November. A horrible time to go because it would be before Thanksgiving, and of course, this meant I would miss Christmas, and New Years with my girlfriend and family. I suppose there was nothing I could do about it. I knew what I had to do when I saw Astrid for dinner since she was coming over to my apartment for dinner. My dad and Gobber were coming too; I might as well tell them at the same time, give them the heads up that I would be going on my second tour of duty November 16, 2013 at 5 am from the central operating base's airfield, just like last time. This wasn't going to be easy, but I couldn't not tell them.

At 4 pm, we were released to go home. I flew Toothless slow, and thought about how I was going to say this. I had informed my godfather, dad, and girlfriend to come over at 6 pm. I wanted time to unpack, get a shower, and cook something before they arrived. By 6 pm, I had made something easy for supper; alfredo chicken, broccoli, and bowtie pasta with a side of garlic bread. I let them in when they showed up; I greeted them with hugs, but Astrid got a kiss. When dinner was done, I cleaned up and we all sat in the living room. The inevitable question was asked.

"So how was drill weekend, son?" Stoick asked.

I couldn't lie to them. Gods, I couldn't do it. "I found out that I'm getting deployed back to Afghanistan in two months for a year,"

"WHAT?!" Astrid screeched in fear.

"When do you leave?" Gobber wondered.

"November 16th, 0500 hours from the central base airfield," I looked down.

"Well, we'll just have to celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas before you go then," Stoick said, trying to stay positive about the matter. I saw Astrid scared and about to cry, I hugged her tightly.

"Hey, it's gonna be okay," I assured. Astrid only held me tighter and sobbed a bit. All I could do was embrace her while she cried for me to be safe, and stay in as much contact as I could. Of course, I couldn't guarantee that, but I'd try my best. My only ray of light in this depressing news was that I would be home for mine and my girlfriend's one-year anniversary. That is what I was looking forward to.

 _{October 26_ _th_ _, 2013}_

Everyone knew about the deployment now, and it wasn't easy news for Kirsten, Dahlia, or Brittany to hear just as Astrid hadn't liked it either. I felt for Eret, the man had a one-month-old now, and by the time he came back from a second tour, his daughter would be a year old already. Thuggory was bumping his proposal up to an early Thanksgiving gift. Kirsten and Cody had some rearranging to do because as it stood, this deployment was going to cut right through their wedding. The two hadn't decided if they were going to marry before he left, then hold a big party later on, or push the entire wedding back until we returned from the war. For me, though, I wasn't worried about any of that because today was mine and Astrid's day. One year of being in a relationship, and I wouldn't let anything ruin it. I had a full day for us planned. Well, it was a joint effort, but we expected to do all our favorite things since her race season was over for the year, and I took today off work. Currently, it was 8:30 am, and we were getting an early start on our celebration.

=Normal POV=

Hiccup and Astrid began their day with breakfast, then went out for a game of mini-golf. When that ended, the two took a small flight together until lunch time around 12-ish. Lunch took an hour or so, then Hiccup and Astrid decided to go to the movies. After that, they weren't sure what to do, so they went flying again, and talked a bit about how the deployment would be. Hiccup promised he would stay in as much contact as allowed, that seemed to be enough for Astrid. As the hours ticked by, the two returned to Hiccup's apartment for dinner; something she cooked for him. The two enjoyed that, and then sat on the couch together to watch some TV. Astrid was cuddling with Hiccup as the two just loved one another's company.

"Hiccup?" Astrid asked.

"What's up, babe?" Hiccup asked her.

"I-I was wondering; could I…maybe sleepover tonight?" Astrid asked bashfully. The two hadn't done such things before, except the one time she was sick on her birthday, and Hiccup had legitimately fallen asleep there. Hiccup was a bit surprised at her request, but who was he to say no? They had been together for a year, and that type of thing wasn't unheard of for a couple.

"Of course you can. D-Do you…want to share the bed? O-Or I can stay out here on the couch?" Hiccup offered.

"I don't…mind sharing with you," Astrid blushed. Hiccup smiled, and nodded. This was a big step for them. The hours got later, and soon it was nearing 10:30 pm. "I love you, Hiccup,"

"I love you too," Hiccup replied.

"Hiccup?" Astrid said.

"Hm?" Hiccup looked at her.

"Would you…do something if I asked you to?" Astrid wondered.

"That would depend on what you want me to do, Love?" Hiccup chuckled a bit.

"Would you make love to me tonight?" Astrid looked at him. Hiccup's eyes widened, totally not expecting that to be the request she asked him.

"I-I thought you said you weren't ready for something like that unless you've been with a guy for a while?" Hiccup inquired.

"I've been with you for a year, and I don't…see myself with anyone else. I love you, Hiccup, and I want to be with you for as long as you'll have me," Astrid informed gently.

"And you're…sure this is what you want, Astrid?" Hiccup questioned. Astrid nodded to him with a smile. "Then yes, I will," he told her. After that, Hiccup powered off the TV, leaned in close to her and kissed her passionately.

 **~Hicstrid Lemon Below~**

Fifteen minutes of making out led Hiccup to carry Astrid to his bedroom, and shut the door with his foot. Hiccup laid Astrid down with himself on top of her, still kissing as Astrid pulled him in for more. Hiccup let his hands run under her shirt and bra, massaging her breasts. Such a new feeling made Astrid blush and moan a bit. Astrid knew that Hiccup knew what he was doing, and he would be gentle with her, so her job was to enjoy the new experience. Hiccup sat Astrid up to remove her shirt, then her bra. After this, Astrid pulled Hiccup's shirt over his head and arms before the two began to kiss again. Hiccup played with Astrid's breasts, and used his mouth too; Astrid really liked that. Afterward, Hiccup started to moving his kisses down her body to her pants, then unbuttoning and unzipping them. When they were loose, Hiccup pulled them down along with her underwear.

Hiccup took an inhale of her scent as he licked her womanhood once to see how she liked the feeling; getting a loud moan in response, he continued to eat her out. After seven minutes, Astrid orgasmed once, and laid on the bed panting. Hiccup smiled as he teased her entrance with his finger, then began pumping it in and out of his girlfriend. Astrid moaned more, loving how it felt. After a few moments, Hiccup slipped in a second finger, and continued these actions for five more minutes until Astrid came a second time.

"Ready for more, or would you like a break to catch your breath?" Hiccup asked.

"Br-Break…ple-please?" Astrid panted. Hiccup nodded as he stood up after wiping his mouth. Astrid sat up on the edge of the bed, and caught sight of Hiccup's hardened length which was being hidden from view by his pants. Astrid decided to explore a little; she reached for Hiccup's belt and unclipped it, then unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans. Astrid tugged them down gently, along with his boxers until his length fell down towards her. Astrid was a bit surprised seeing a cock for the first time, and hard at that, but hey, she'd wanted porn before; it was just different in this sense.

"Go on; I know you're curious," Hiccup laughed a little. Astrid blushed, thankfully, it was dark and Hiccup wouldn't notice. Astrid pulled Hiccup a bit closer to her, then she carefully put her hand on his length, stroking it back and forth. Hiccup moaned a little, and Astrid took it as her sign to continue. Astrid moved her mouth closer, then licked around the head before bringing it into her mouth. Astrid began sucking on him, and stroking too in rhythm. Hiccup put his hands on her shoulder, head falling back while he panted and moaned from the blowjob Astrid was giving him. Astrid kept this up for ten minutes before Hiccup gripped her shoulders a bit, and released in her mouth. Astrid swirled her tongue around to clean him, then pulled her mouth back.

"Not as bad as I've read about," Astrid admitted, Hiccup smiled as he laid her back on the bed.

"You want to keep going?" Hiccup asked.

"I do," Astrid nodded. Hiccup leaned back to pull a condom out of his nightstand drawer, the tear the wrapper to remove the object. Hiccup rolled it onto his length, the pinched the top free of air before Hiccup got between her legs with his cock at her entrance.

"Let me know if it starts to hurt," Hiccup informed.

"I will," Astrid replied as Hiccup began pushing himself into his girlfriend's core. Astrid gripped his arms tightly, closing her eyes and breathing through the sting she felt of being stretched at the intrusion. Hiccup watched her, and then towards the end, he moved all the way in with one fast motion.

"You okay?" Hiccup asked.

"Yeah, just stings a little," Astrid told him. Hiccup kissed her lips lightly, and gave her some time to adjust. After a minute, Astrid nodded for him to go ahead. Hiccup began rocking his hips into her, and soon, Astrid started moaning again. "Mm, Hiccup," she panted. Hiccup kissed her again, picking up speed and force, which Astrid seemed to enjoy. For an hour and a half, they made love. There were a few position changes through the course of that timeframe, and Astrid did be on top to ride Hiccup once, but she admitted to preferring the bottom where Hiccup was in control of everything. As it neared midnight, neither of them could hold it back any longer.

"I'm gonna cum, Astrid," Hiccup warned her.

"Ah, me…too," Astrid moaned as Hiccup buried his face into her shoulder while thrusting hard and fast. "Hiccup! Gods, I'm…cumming!" Astrid dug her nails into the skin on his back, dragging them along as she arched her back. The motions drove Hiccup over the edge as he came still inside her with the condom on. The two rode out their orgasms, laying still and trying to catch their breath. Hiccup lifted his head, and kissed Astrid before withdrawing himself from her carefully. Hiccup removed the condom, tied it off, then tossed it in the trash bin under his nightstand table. Hiccup got a towel to let Astrid clean up, then he did the same when she was done. Hiccup tossed the rag into the hamper, then he laid down on the bed and Astrid cuddled up to him.

 **~End Lemon~**

"That was…amazing," Astrid said tiredly.

"I know, and I'm glad I got to share it with you. I love you, Astrid," Hiccup smiled.

"I love you too," Astrid responded as they kissed again before closing their eyes and letting sleep take them knowing that what they just did; making love for the first time, is what made their anniversary perfect.


	26. Chapter 26

**No Matter What**

Rated: M

Pairings: Hiccup X Astrid

Disclaimer; I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, but I do own the rights to my OC characters!

 **Chapter Twenty-Six**

=Astrid's POV=

 _{November 16, 2013}_

Today was the day; Hiccup leaving for his second tour of duty, which would take place at Camp Nox in Lashkar-Gah of the Helmand Province in Afghanistan. I was sitting in Hiccup's apartment, staring out the sliding glass door at the darkened sky. Unfortunately, because the Marines were leaving from the military base; Fort Archia, civilians were not present for goodbye. I knew Hiccup had been there since about 3 am, and they were leaving at 5 am, which now, was only twenty minutes away. I'd been spending the night at Hiccup's ever since our one-year anniversary; I enjoyed it, and things felt right. Our evening had been…Well, I don't have a word to describe it. Hiccup and I got to make love, I gave him my virginity because I knew I wouldn't be with anyone else. For Odin's sake, I had been crushing on the guy since Senior Year in August 2009, and liked him all through the time he was with Camicazi, and even when the two of them had broken up February 2012. And even after that, I continued to fall harder for him until we finally got together in October 2012. Here we were in November 2013, and I just knew that Hiccup and I were going to last. Nothing else made sense to me since I held onto my feelings for Hiccup all that time even before the breakup when I thought I 'd never get a chance. There had to be something special there for us, and I didn't care what as long as I didn't lose Hiccup.

The fear ran high; knowing Hiccup was deploying a second time, and for a year to the same place as before. I know that Hiccup was scared. Not because of war, but because what happened the last time he deployed. Hiccup came home after eighteen long months, ready to ask for Camicazi's hand in marriage, and he found her cheating on him. I couldn't blame him for being scared, and I promised him that he didn't have to worry about that with me. I have been awake since Hiccup left at 3 am, I couldn't sleep knowing he had left. However, I might be living at his place while he's gone; Hiccup asked if I'd be willing to keep an eye on the area while he was away. I told him that I'd just temporarily move in. Hiccup said that was fine with him because it made no sense for him to go away for twelve months and the apartment is empty. So I was living here now, and Hiccup said he'd continue to pay the rent and bills, all I had to do was buy the food. My boyfriend was a Godsend, and I loved him with my everything. Things were great for everyone else too.

Heather was now five months pregnant. Tuffnut and Stilsta were due any day to have their child. I suspected sometime in this week. Thuggory proposed to Brittany at the start of November, an early Thanksgiving Day gift since he would be away for Christmas, which is when he originally planned to ask for her hand. Kirsten and Cody got hitched at City Hall in October of this year, and promised to hold a reception party when the tour was over to celebrate the marriage. Throk and Ruffnut agree to wait until after the New Year to try for a baby. Snotlout was asking Asta to marry him in December, over Christmas. Eret and Dahlia got to celebrate one year of marriage, also, their daughter was now three months old. Yeah, everything was great, and all I wanted was for this year to be over, so Hiccup could be back home. It sucked that we would miss our two-year anniversary because he'd be gone for that, but he promised we'd celebrate it in November 2014 when he was back. I couldn't wait! Hiccup and I have made love one more time, last night before we went to sleep because he had to be up at 2 am to be at Fort Archia at 3 am. I think we went to bed at 8:30 pm after having sex for an hour, and dinner before that.

My phone vibrated on the arm of the couch as I glanced down to see Hiccup calling me on Skype. I smiled a bit, then pressed accept. "Morning again, babe," I greeted when his face appeared.

 _~Morning, gorgeous. I wasn't sure if you'd gone back to sleep or not.~_ Hiccup replied with a smile.

"No, I couldn't sleep after you left," I admitted.

 _~I'm sorry, Milady. Well, I just wanted to call and see your face one more time before we fly out. I wanted to tell you that I love you, Astrid, and I can't wait to be home so I can sleep with you in my arms again. You're the best thing to ever enter my life, and I don't know what I'd do if I lost you.~_ Hiccup said gently.

"Hiccup, you don't have to worry about losing me. I swear on my life that when you come home, I will be here waiting for you. I love you, Hiccup, with all of my heart, which you carry with you. As long as you have my heart, you will always have my love as I will have yours here with me," I assured sweetly. I saw Hiccup smile at me.

 _~Thank you; I needed to hear that before getting on the plane. Well, I gotta go for now, but I promise to call as soon as I'm able. I love you, baby girl.~_ Hiccup blew me a kiss, I lifted my hand to catch it, and then send one back.

"I love you too, Hiccup. Stay safe," I replied. I saw Hiccup nod to me before the call ended. I sighed and put the phone down. This was it; he was on his way to Afghanistan for what I was sure would be a long, twelve months. The only bright side is that I would get to see him when he came home for two weeks on his leave. I couldn't wait.

 _{December 3, 2013-Family Healthcare Center}_

Hiccup hadn't even been gone a full month, and I already wanted him back home. Hiccup talked to me during his layovers on the day he left, and once he arrived in Afghanistan; he took a few seconds to message me on Skype to let me know that he'd landed at Camp Nox, and was about to get settled in with the others. Thanksgiving had come and gone; I spent it with my uncle, mom, and dad at my parent's house in Berkville. I also went over to visit Stoick and Gobber, and we got a surprise call from Hiccup too. I think that was the highlight of Thanksgiving for the three of us. Oh, Tuffnut and Stilsta had their baby; it's a boy named Mikkel Thorston, and he was born November 20th, 2013. Everything else had been about standard; I was still in my offseason of racing, but next month we started practices again. Currently, it was December, and I was on my way to my Gynocologist's office for my yearly Pap Smear. I hated it, but thankfully, it was only once a year, so I could deal with it.

I reached the office, and placed Stormfly in the stables with some chicken and water. I made my way inside the building and went to the second floor, then I stood before the check-in window. The woman behind the sliding glass opening smiled as she pushed it aside.

"Hi. Astrid Hofferson for Dr. Helga Falk at 1:40 pm?" I stated. The woman clicked a few things, and nodded.

"All your information is the same?" the receptionist inquired.

"Yes," I nodded.

"Alright, you're all checked in. Have a seat, and the nurse will be out to get you," the female informed. I grabbed a chair against the wall, then took out my phone to reply to the message Hiccup sent me while I was flying.

 _ **[Have an hour of free time, and thought I'd check on my girl. How are you today?]**_

[I'm good. At the doctor's right now.]

 _ **[Why are you there? Are you okay?]**_

[I'm great, babe. It's just my annual.]

 _ **{Oh, good. Let me know how you make out. How are you feeling? You mentioned feeling sick a few days ago?]**_

That's right, I had been. I didn't know where it came from, but I felt nauseated and tired. I decided to stay in bed all day to rest and see how I felt, but honestly, I still felt a bit queasy. [Feeling a bit better. Might go to my regular doctor if still feeling icky at the end of the week.]

 _ **[Keep me posted. I gotta go for now. The squad and I are doing a patrol for twelve hours. I love you!]**_

[Love you too! Be safe!] After that, I put my phone away. Hiccup having a patrol for that long meant that I likely wouldn't hear from him again until tomorrow morning or early afternoon because he'd be getting back around 2 am, or later if something came up, then he would sleep upon arriving back to the base. The door opened as I saw a woman walk out.

"Astrid?" the female asked. I stood up while getting my purse. I smiled walking over to her, and then we went into the back. "Alright, Astrid. Let's get you on the scale," I removed my shoes and stepped on. "Okay, 128. That looks good. You've hardly changed at all in the last year. Okay, now, I'm going to have you step into the restroom to give us a urine sample, and then we'll get you changed into a gown for the exam," I nodded to her, knowing the process. I took the cup from her as I went into the bathroom, did my business, then left. The nurse led me to a room down the hall on the left; **#5**. The woman got me a gown and sheet to cover up with, then stepped out. I changed out of the clothes, into the dress, then prepared to get on the table, but I felt sick again.

I felt the vomit rise from my stomach, and I put a hand to my mouth, trying to keep it down. However, that didn't happen. I moved to the garbage can by the small desk, and knelt down to throw up. I only did it once, but it sucked either way. I stood up and got a paper towel to wipe my mouth as there was a knock on the door. "C-Come in," I said. The doctor came in with a soft smile.

"Are you alright, sweetheart?" Helga asked.

I nodded. "Yeah, I just haven't been feeling well the last few days," I admitted while moving to the table and getting on it. Helga approached me and sat down on her stool.

"I'm sorry to hear that. Have you been to your physician yet?" Helga asked.

"No, but I plan to if this doesn't stop," I told her.

"Okay, well, just a few quick questions. You're twenty-one, yes?" Helga inquired as I nodded. "You don't smoke or drink?" I shook my head to her. "You're not on any birth control?" I shook my head again. Although, perhaps it might be a good idea to get on it since I was sexually active now.

"No, but I did want to talk about possibly starting it," I told her.

"We can discuss that afterward, my dear. Now-," she began as the nurse poked her head in, and motioned for Helga to come to the door. I didn't hear what was said, but I know that Helga returned after closing the door. "My apologies, Astrid. That was my nurse with your test results, and I wanted to ask if you knew you were pregnant?"

"What?" I asked. "No, I can't be. I-I got my period last month," I insisted. But had I? I was due for it around the time Hiccup left for deployment. Did I get it? I knew I got it in October because it happened before mine and Hiccup's one-year.

"According to this, Astrid, you are. When was the last period you had, the first day of?" Helga asked.

"Um…It was…October 18th," I replied.

"And your period has always been on time?" Helga questioned as I nodded to her, trying to relax a little. Though, I just got told I was pregnant, so calming down wasn't so easy to do. Helga pulled out a wheel and shifted a few things. "Okay, that means you would have ovulated on October 27th, and conceived by November 1st. This marks your estimated due date at July 25, 2014," Helga informed softly.

I sat there in shock and disbelief. Gods, when she gave me all those dates it made sense. Hiccup and I had sex on the 26th of October, that means the condom failed and I got ovulated the next day. What was I going to do? I was…pregnant with Hiccup's and mine's child. I felt sick, nervous, but I took a deep breath, trying to collect my thoughts.

"H-How…far along am I?" I forced out.

"Right now, you're six weeks and four days along. I can…see that this has taken you by surprise, but I'd like for you to know that everything is okay, Astrid," Helga assured with a hand on my knee. I nodded shakily as she got me a cup of water.

"Wh-What should I do from here?" I asked.

"The best course of action would be for you to start taking prenatal vitamins, and we should schedule you a sonogram to check the heartbeat, and get some measurements. Is that alright with you? Why don't I end the appointment here, and write you a prescription to fill. We can make the ultrasound date for the next available, and in the meantime, you can head home to sit with this; I'm sure you have some people to tell, and speak with the baby's father," Helga informed. My eyes widened instantly. Fuck! Hiccup is the baby's father, and he's deployed until November of NEXT year! Shit, I had to call him! That's all I was worried about right now; calling Hiccup and telling him that I'm pregnant.


	27. Chapter 27

**No Matter What**

Rated: M

Pairings: Hiccup X Astrid

Disclaimer; I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, but I do own the rights to my OC characters!

 **Chapter Twenty-Seven**

=Normal POV=

Astrid left her Gynocologist's office nervous and scared two days ago. Helga wrote her a prescription for prenatal vitamins, and scheduled the sonogram for December 9th to check the heartbeat, do measurements, and make sure everything was placed as it should be for a healthy pregnancy. Astrid went to the pharmacy, got the vitamins, then went to Hiccup's apartment to sit down and try to relax. Astrid knew she needed to calm down before she called Hiccup to tell him they were having a baby because she got knocked up from the first time they ever had sex. Gods, Astrid worried how Hiccup would react to this, and how it would go with him deployed. Astrid didn't know how this worked, but she knew she had to tell him. However, getting a hold of Hiccup was nothing easy, and unfortunately, she knew he was busy. This conversation they needed to have would take some time, and Astrid sincerely hoped that Hiccup could get that for this situation. Hiccup had tried e-mail, text, instant message, all of that, but there hadn't been a response. Astrid hadn't told anyone she was pregnant, the first to know should be Hiccup. Astrid was officially seven weeks along tomorrow.

' _Gods, how do I get a hold of him if I can't make contact the typical ways?'_ Astrid asked herself. Right now, it was 2:37 pm. That meant it was nearing 7 pm in Afghanistan. Hiccup could be on guard, patrol, or a mission right now. Regardless, Astrid had to keep trying. Finally, she decided to do something drastic, and call the Archia Base in the city. Astrid didn't know what it would do, but maybe they could suggest another method of contact. Astrid looked up the number, and called, praying to could get through. After fifteen minutes of constant transfers and sitting on hold, someone picked up.

" _Archia Military Base. How can I help you?"_ answered a male voice.

"Hi, I'm just…looking for information, or maybe advice on contacting a deployed Marine," Astrid said, not sure how else to word it.

" _Well, I can do my best for you, ma'am. Is this an emergency matter?"_ the man asked.

"I, uh, I'm not sure. What defines as an emergency?" Astrid inquired.

" _Death in the family, the birth of a child, major events that they would need to be informed about,"_ the male replied.

"Does finding out you're pregnant after your boyfriend has left for a year deployment count?" Astrid wondered.

" _Depends on nature. Did he know you could become pregnant? Were you trying for a baby?"_ the man responded.

"No. It was…unplanned, and I've tried to contact him on my own for two days, but there isn't an answer. I've…just been trying to tell him because he doesn't know, and I'm almost two months in, and he's deployed for a year, a-and," Astrid continued, trying not to cry now. Of course she was scared and nervous being only twenty-one, pregnant, while Hiccup was away and she couldn't reach him.

" _Alright, take a few breaths, ma'am. I'll see what I can do. What is your boyfriend's name?"_ the male requested.

"I-It's Corporal Hiccup Haddock. He's…deployed to Camp Nox in Afghanistan," Astrid answered while attempting to calm down.

" _Okay. I'm going to put you on a brief hold, and we'll see if we can't get a message to Hiccup to contact you, okay?"_ the man told her.

"Okay," Astrid sniffled a bit, praying to the Gods this worked.

 _{Camp Nox-7:25 pm}_

Hiccup was thoroughly exhausted having just come from a sixteen-hour guard that turned into a patrol, then small firefight before they got out and have since returned to the base. Hiccup wanted a shower, something to eat, then get as much rest as allowed before tomorrow.

"Haddock!" called Major Grimborn as Hiccup had just put his gun down.

Hiccup groaned a bit as he offered his company leader a salute out of respect. "Yes, Major Grimborn. What can I do for you?" Hiccup asked.

"I'm afraid I'm not here for me. I just received a call from the battalion leader; Lieutenant Colonel Henrik Andersen. Evidently, there is someone back home trying to get ahold of you for a serious matter, and thought to call Fort Archia to relay that message here for you," Viggo stated. Hiccup blinked a bit. Who was calling Fort Archia to get ahold of him? And what was _that_ serious that they went through such an extreme measure to contact him?

"Alright. Who, and I'll call them right now," Hiccup inquired.

"Your girlfriend," Viggo informed. Hiccup's eyes widened. Astrid called Fort Archia to reach him? Suddenly, he was nervous, but grabbed his phone, and pulled up Skype, then called Astrid who was already online. Hiccup gave it a few minutes to load with the camera, but it was taking too long so he shut it off and it connected right away. Hiccup put the phone to his ear, then waited. "Astrid?" he asked.

" _Hiccup? Thank Odin my message got through,"_ Astrid replied with some relief in her voice.

"Yeah, I just got back from a sixteen-hour guard, that turned patrol, and small fight. What's the matter, babe?" Hiccup asked quickly.

" _Are you alone?"_ Astrid inquired.

"No, I'm with the platoon. I can't go outside or I'll lose reception. Tell me what's going on. Why in the name of Thor did you contact Fort Archia to get ahold of me. Is everything okay?" Hiccup asked quickly. Thuggory heard the worry in Hiccup's voice about wanting to know what was wrong for Astrid to contact the main operating base of Archian State to get a message to Hiccup to call her for a serious matter. Thuggory had the others quiet down. Viggo was still present, and Ryker came in a moment ago as Viggo had him remain silent for the time being.

"Hic? Everything okay back home?" Thuggory questioned.

"I don't…know. Astrid, tell me what's going on. I know that Fort Archia wouldn't have passed this message along unless it was something along the lines of an emergency. Talk to me, now, please?" Hiccup asked.

" _Hiccup. I…don't know how to say this, so I'm just gonna state it bluntly,"_ Astrid replied as Hiccup got nervous.

"Astrid, you're starting to scare me and I don't frighten easily. Has someone been hurt? Are my dad and godfather alright? Out with it, please?!" Hiccup pleaded.

" _I'm pregnant, Hiccup,"_ Astrid informed. Hiccup froze as his eyes went wide at the piece of information he'd been given.

"What?" Hiccup asked slowly, in a quieter voice. "What did you just say?" he added.

"What's going on, Corporal?" Ryker asked.

" _You heard me. I've got a bun in the oven. I'm with child. I'm expecting. However it is you want to process it the words, but I'm pregnant, Hiccup,"_ Astrid said again. Hiccup felt his knees go weak as he staggered to stay standing.

"Woah there, Hic. Easy now," Eret said.

"Why don't you take a seat, Corporal Haddock," Viggo suggested. Cody and Thuggory helped Hiccup to sit down on his cot while he seemed to be in a bit of shock. Finally, it was beginning to wear off. Hiccup took a few seconds to regain himself, and take a few breaths.

" _A-Are you okay?"_ Astrid asked.

"I-I, uh, I don't-," Hiccup stammered a bit. "Sorry, I just…Wow, I was…not expecting this to be the serious matter you wanted to contact me about," Hiccup stated.

" _I tried everything else over the last two days, and there was no answer. I'm sorry if I got you into any trouble,"_ Astrid said softly.

"I'm not in trouble. Don't worry, but usually if someone goes through that much trouble to pass a message to a service member who is deployed then it's a huge deal. I was terrified something happened back home to you, dad, or Gobber," Hiccup tried to relax a little; this was still a serious situation. Astrid was pregnant, and it was apparent she called because they needed to discuss things.

" _No, everyone is okay here. I-I haven't told anyone about this; I wanted to talk you first, so we could decide what to do,"_ Astrid enlightened to assure him that nothing was wrong at home.

"I thank you for that. Well, you have me now, so let's talk. Give me just one second, okay?" Hiccup paused, then put it on mute as he turned to Viggo and Ryker. "I don't suppose there's a quiet place on this base I can talk to my girlfriend without worry of losing the signal?" he wondered.

"Well, there's the CO quarters where the battalion leader and company leaders reside. I'm afraid you won't be allowed in there without a good reason, though," Viggo remarked.

"Does my girlfriend being pregnant qualify?" Hiccup questioned as Thuggory, Eret, and Cody's eyes widened in shock. Astrid was pregnant?!

"Yes, it does because that's a family matter. Come along," Viggo invited. Hiccup silently thanked the Gods as he rounded up a few things, and followed Viggo out.

"Babe?" Hiccup asked after taking it off mute.

" _Yeah?"_ Astrid replied.

"Listen, I'm on my way to the CO offices, that way we can have some privacy while we talk. I'll call you back when I get there, okay? They have better reception too," Hiccup informed.

" _Alright, I'll be waiting. I love you,"_ Astrid responded.

"I love you too," Hiccup then ended the call while following Viggo.

"Hic, let us know?" Eret asked. Hiccup nodded before going out of sight. Reaching the offices, they were different from the barracks. It was built to be like a dorm building, each company leader and the battalion head resided in here, and there was a significant office space towards the back with cubicles for each officer. Viggo led Hiccup towards his, then had him sit down at the desk.

"Take as much time as you need, Haddock, and then give me the information so we can start making arrangements to accommodate this sudden situation," Viggo commanded.

"Aye, Major," Hiccup nodded. Viggo walked away as Hiccup set up his tablet by plugging it in, and putting it on the stand he had. Hiccup powered it on, then he logged into Skype, and called Astrid back. Thankfully, this time, they could use the camera. "Hey," he greeted.

~ _Hi, babe.~_ Astrid replied.

"Okay. Wow. I, uh, don't know where to start. I mean…Are you…taking this alright?" Hiccup wondered.

~ _I'm…settling with it still. It…explains why I've been ill the last few weeks. Not constant, just on and off.~_ Astrid informed.

"Well, that's…good. I'm…glad you're okay, and we know the cause now. Um, how did…you find out?" Hiccup asked.

~ _At my annual appointment two days ago. It was just supposed to be a Pap Smear, but you know they run standard tests. I was talking to my doctor, and then the nurse pulled her aside. When Dr. Falk returned, she asked me if I knew I was pregnant. Right away, I said I wasn't, that I got my period last month. Then…I began to question it myself. I know I got my October one, it was two weeks before we had sex. Thinking more on November, it was when you left, and I actually didn't remember if I got it or not. Obviously not as I'm pregnant.~_ Astrid explained.

"Alright, I'm…following so far. So, it was an office test that showed you were. I guess I don't have to wonder if maybe you tested wrong. Uh, how…far along are you right now?" Hiccup inquired.

~ _I'm…seven weeks tomorrow. When I found out, I was six weeks and four days.~_ Astrid told him.

Hiccup sat back in the chair while rubbing his face a bit, trying to settle with the news as it was steadily becoming more real to him that his girlfriend was pregnant. "So you're…almost two months along already," Hiccup kept his head to the ceiling.

~ _Yeah, next week on December 13_ _th.~_ Astrid nodded to him.

"That would make you due…Sometime towards the end of July next year, correct?" Hiccup questioned after flipping through the wall calendar on Viggo's cubicle wall.

~ _Mmhm. July 25, 2014, marks forty weeks. I'm…already taking prenatals, and have a sonogram scheduled for the 9_ _th_ _to check the heartbeat, measurements, and everything is as it should be for the pregnancy at 9:30 am.~_ Astrid enlightened.

"Whew boy. Alright, uh, using the timeframe of everything; you must have ovulated the day after we had sex for the first time, and my condom must have broken or had a leak. Okay. These…things happen. No big deal; we can…handle this. You're…pregnant, and we're…gonna have a baby in seven months," Hiccup said as the news continued to set in that he was going to be a father. He and Astrid were having a baby; this was real, and it was actually happening.

~ _A-Are you…okay with this, Hiccup?~_ Astrid asked him.

"Well, it's not an ideal situation, Astrid. I mean, I'm…deployed until next November, and I can't be there for a lot of the things you're going to have to go through. Then there's your racing career to consider; you can't be flying at those speeds and doing the obstacles in your condition," Hiccup pointed out. Astrid sighed a bit; she had almost completely forgotten about that. The new race season started in January after the New Year, and she would be three months pregnant for that, and Hiccup was still deployed.

 _~We can…figure it out. Maybe I can…get a stand-in to race on Stormfly for me. I'll talk to the Race Master about it. As for you; I don't know, don't they issue time off for new babies?~_ Astrid replied.

"I'm not sure. Now that I have some information from you about this; I have to talk to my CO about how it works. Alright, let's do this because I know you and I are against abortion and adoption for whatever beliefs we have. We're obviously keeping the baby we have created; we both had a hand in it, so we're not gonna pass blame. It happened, and we'll take responsibility for what we chose to do, and what has developed from it. I'm gonna let you go for now, so I can talk to Major Grimborn about what happens next on my side of things. For now, you just…take care of yourself, and the baby. Get some rest, and I'll call you back as soon I can. Oh, and don't tell anyone from our families or friends yet. My guys know not to say anything. When we have all the information, we'll start telling people. Sound okay?" Hiccup asked.

~ _It does. I won't say anything.~_ Astrid confirmed.

"Thank you. Hey, it's alright, Astrid. We'll figure this out, and we'll do it together. I'm not mad, it's kind of a little exciting while still being scary, nervewracking, and a shock. So, let me let you go for now, and I promise you'll hear from again this evening. It's nearing 8 pm here, but I'm likely not going to bed right away with all this going on now. It's all good, we'll be fine. I promise. I love you, Astrid," Hiccup said.

~ _I love you too, Hiccup.~_ Astrid responded with a smile. Hiccup blew her a kiss that she caught, then she returned one to him. Hiccup ended the video call as he took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Astrid was pregnant with his baby, they were keeping it, and things were about to get a lot crazier for them as they figure out how to handle things with her in Archian City, and himself in Afghanistan while they prepared to become parents.


	28. Chapter 28

**No Matter What**

Rated: M

Pairings: Hiccup X Astrid

Disclaimer; I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, but I do own the rights to my OC characters!

 **Chapter Twenty-Eight**

=Hiccup's POV=

 _{December 25, 2013}_

You can imagine my shock and fear when Viggo, my commanding officer informed me twenty days ago that someone back home had sent a message for me to call them for a pressing matter that I needed to be aware of. I worried about so many things that I could have been contacted about, and then after all that; it was learning that my girlfriend of a year and two months tomorrow, is pregnant with my child. Yes. It came off as a major shock to me too because it was the one thing I had not been expecting to hear. Astrid and I talked about things, and decided to keep the baby; we would work around anything else that came up unexpectedly. After getting off the phone with her, I talked to Viggo, Ryker, and Henrik Andersen, the battalion leader. Unfortunately, he had to be involved for things to go as smooth as possible with trying their best to get me home for the birth of my first child.

 **~Flashback; 12/5/2013; Camp Nox-8 pm~**

 _I ended the call with Astrid, then took a moment to process things that were said, and finally collect my thoughts before stepping out of the cubicle to see Viggo talking to the battalion leader; Henrik Andersen. I was nervous because I had no idea how to handle all this, so I hoped I would get some insight from these two on the matter._

" _Corporal Haddock. Have we spoken to the girlfriend and gotten some information for us?" asked Henrik._

 _I nodded to him. "Yes, sir,"_

" _Excellent. Why don't we move into my office, and you can fill us in on the situation?" Henrik offered while motioning for myself and Viggo to follow. I had my tablet in my hand with the charger in case I needed to contact Astrid for anything else. Reaching Henrik's office, I sat down in one chair, then Viggo in the other. Henrik took his place across from us and folded his hands together on the desk. "Alright, so as I understand your girlfriend is pregnant, and I'm assuming this was…unplanned?"_

" _That's correct, sir," I replied._

" _Now, what…has taken place so far on her side? When did she find out, how, has she been to the doctors?" Henrik inquired._

 _I took a deep breath. "From what I was told by Astrid, she had her annual Gynocologist exam on the 3_ _rd_ _, and they run standard tests, one of which is a pregnancy one. The nurse informed the doctor about the results, and then my girl's doctor asked her if she knew she was. Astrid said no, and things continued from there," I explained as I had been given by Astrid._

" _Very good, so that means we can confirm that there is a pregnancy occurring. That wasn't to suggest we assume she's lying, but there have been situations in the past where a Marine is informed he is about to be a father based on a faulty pregnancy test. Also, a lot of paperwork goes into these types of things, and a doctor's confirmation will be needed," Henrik informed._

" _Oh, no. It's okay. I actually said the same thing about not needing to worry if Astrid tested wrong," I assured._

" _Ah, we're on the same page then. Perfect, that always helps. Now, what other information can you give us as it's been two days since her appointment. I assume that the reason Fort Archia contacted Camp Nox to pass a message along to you was that she had attempted to reach you after she found out?" Henrik questioned._

" _Yes, Lieutenant Colonel. And I apologize if that was troublesome at all," I said._

" _None at all. Archia wouldn't have fulfilled her request if they didn't deem it worthy enough to pass along to Nox. Now, what was she able to tell you from the appointment? Has she had a sonogram yet?" Viggo interjected as I nodded, grateful that it hadn't caused trouble._

" _Astrid didn't mention any sonogram, but she did say that at the time of the appointment she was confirmed to be six weeks and four days along," I stated._

" _That was two days ago, so now she would be six weeks and six days along if I remember how pregnancy works," Henrik remarked._

" _The would put her at a late July birth, and mark your…eight months on tour with four to go following that. Would it be possible for you to ask her if she received an expected due date? And if she's had her first ultrasound yet? It's all information we need to try and get you home for the birth. We do our best to make it happen, but we cannot predict when she will go into labor, unfortunately. Sometimes it's early, other times, it's on the dot, then there are women who go late, or need to be induced. In short, we follow the pregnancy as much as we can with updates from her to you, then to us," Viggo said._

" _I could…try to call her, and see if she has that information for me to give to you?" I offered. Henrik motioned for me to go ahead as I got my tablet ready, and clicked her name again. It began ringing, trying to connect, then it answered._

~ **Hi, ba-baby.~** _Astrid answered miserably. I could tell from the background that she was in the bathroom at my apartment._

" _You okay?" I asked._

~ **Why do they…call it morning sickness if it can hit at any time?~** _Astrid questioned._

" _I wish I knew, Love. You up to talking for a few minutes?" I questioned._

~ **Y-Yeah, I can manage.~** _Astrid replied as she leaned against the tub/shower combination while holding the phone up to show her face._

" _If I can suggest. My wife didn't have an easy time with morning sickness either. What worked for her was keeping some crackers by the bed, and eating them before you get up in the morning. Also, you might want to give eating small, but frequent meals a try. Oh, and things with ginger did wonders for my sister-in-law," Henrik offered._

" _Sorry, that's my battalion leader. If you've been throwing up, stay on the water, babe," I said._

~ **I'll…give those things a try. Thank you. What did you want to talk about, Hiccup?~** _Astrid wondered._

" _Well, my CO's were curious if you got an expected due date from your doctor. And also if you've had your first sonogram?" I said._

~ **Uh. I think my doctor mentioned something about both. Hang on, they're in the bedroom because I was going over it all.~** _Astrid said as she forced herself up and moved out of the bathroom, and then into the bedroom. Astrid looked through a few things, then she got was she was searching for. ~_ _ **Okay, um, the due date is expected to be the 25**_ _ **th**_ _ **of July 2014. And my first…ultrasound is scheduled for this coming Monday, the 9**_ _ **th**_ _ **at 9:45 am. I guess that's for checking the heartbeat, placement, and measuring.~**_ _Astrid informed._

" _Wonderful. Thank you, Miss," Viggo said._

~ **No problem. Oh, and you can call me Astrid.~** _Astrid smiled a bit. ~_ _ **Did you need anything else?~**_ _she pondered._

" _I believe we are all set, for now, Astrid. You've been very helpful; we're trying to plan Hiccup's leave time accordingly, so he'll be home for the birth of the baby," Henrik enlightened. "To make that more of a guarantee; anything baby-related, please let Hiccup know as soon as you're able. For example, if the doctor were to plan an induction, let us know. Okay?"_

~ **I'll do my best.~** _Astrid nodded, though, I could tell she looked really pale._

" _You look exhausted, babe. Grab a water bottle, and lay down for a bit. I know I'm beat, and as soon as all this is taken care of, I'm gonna hit the sack too," I admitted._

~ **Okay. I'll message you in the morning? Well, it will probably be afternoon for you. I love you.~** _Astrid blew a kiss my way._

" _I love you too, Milady," I responded before ending the call, then locking the tablet screen. "What happens now?"_

" _As we have all this, we're gonna be sending the recent updates to Fort Archia, and from there, they will be sending some things to Astrid. Proof of the pregnancy, release forms to speak with her doctor about the baby, anything to keep us posted in case there is a communication issue between you two. For now, we have what we need to get things started, and you're free to return to your bunk, son. Oh, and congratulations," Henrik stated._

" _Thank you," I said, then saluted them before exiting the office and returning to my barrack. I was positive to be bombarded by my friends wanting to know everything about Astrid and me having a baby soon._

 **~End Flashback~**

Thus far, only my battalion knew about me about to become a father. I told Cody, Eret, and Thuggory, then made them swear to secrecy on the matter until Astrid and I were ready to tell everyone else. Today was Christmas, and Astrid was nine weeks and five days along. I got to see my baby live; Astrid had my on Skype for the sonogram. It was terrific, and I didn't have the words to describe it. I heard the heartbeat, saw the flicker of it. I saw how big the baby was, and told that everything was in place for a perfect pregnancy. When all that was over, I admitted to Astrid that I was overly excited about this new journey we were getting to take; becoming parents. Sure, it was going to be anything but smooth with me in the Marines or her racing career, but we'd make it through somehow. I believe that we could, so I know we will.

Astrid and I planned our reveal perfectly, and we were doing it tonight when everyone went over to my place for a special surprise to everyone from me. It was the only way we could convince them to all come; saying it was a gift from me. For me, the time was about 11:30 pm, but back home I knew it was 6 pm. The best time when everyone else had finished their Christmas get-togethers and would be ready to relax. I couldn't wait for this, Astrid was going to message me on Skype when they all arrived.

=Normal POV=

Hiccup's apartment was big and had tons of space. Astrid loved it, and hopefully, everyone else would too since no one had seen it except for Stoick and Gobber, also Hiccup's Marine friends. Astrid had little snacks put out, and drinks too. Everyone began arriving around 5:45 pm, Astrid would hang coats in the closet, and have them find a place to sit down. Stoick and Gobber were first to reach the apartment, then behind them within five minutes was Snotlout and Asta; recently engaged because Snotlout proposed Christmas Eve night in front of his and her families. Throk and Ruffnut came next, followed by Astrid's parents; Garet and Asvora, and Finn not far behind. After that was Heather; who was six months pregnant, and Fishlegs, and lastly, Tuffnut, Stilsta, and their four-month-old son, Mikkel. Astrid closed the door once everyone was inside, and then she went to the laptop, which was hooked up to the big screen. Astrid smiled as she put her hands on the keys to type to Hiccup.

[Everyone is here, babe. Ready?]

Not more than a second later, a call from Hiccup camp in. Astrid accepted it, and stepped back.

 _~Merry Christmas!~_ Hiccup announced to everyone after the connection was established, and he showed on screen.

"Merry Christmas, Hiccup!" the group called back.

"How are you, son?" Stoick asked with a smile.

 _~At the moment, I'm freezing my butt off. It's like thirty-degrees, and we're getting ready to head out for a ten-hour guard, so I don't have long to talk unfortunately.~_ Hiccup admitted.

"You didn't have to work earlier when we talked?" Astrid blinked.

 _~I know. Not my fault; big fight earlier, they want eyes on everything. It's just the Lightning Squad and our dragons. I'm leading with Toothless.~_ Hiccup informed.

"Well, that sucks. Be safe, will you?" Gobber reminded.

 _~I can only promise to try. Now, as I'm limited for time. I sent something home to everyone for the holiday. You'll have to share as there is only one to go around, but it won't be ready until July; it's still being built.~_ Hiccup chuckled as Astrid clicked the minimized screen on Skype, but they could see Hiccup's face. On display was a picture of Hiccup and Astrid. On the left was Hiccup on one knee with his hands up at the edge of the photo; his background was Afghanistan while he was in full gear to be out in the field. On the right was Astrid standing, looking down with a gentle smile on her lips. However, it was now they could see Hiccup's hands were on her stomach. Now, they could tell that it was a specially taken photo to look like it was one, but really two put together like a puzzle piece.

"That's a cute picture of you two," Asvora claimed with a smile.

 _~I thought so, but there's someone else in the picture too..~_ Hiccup stated.

Everyone looked closer but only saw Hiccup and Astrid in the photograph. Suddenly, Gobber's eyes widened as he jumped up. "Beard of Thor; I get it! The lass is pregnant!"

Their eyes widened in confusion and disbelief. "What? No. Come on. How did you get that out of their picture?" Garet motioned to the screen.

"Hiccup is kneeling with his hands out, showing to be on her stomach as she's smiling down at him. And Hiccup just said there are three people in the photo, also that our gift wasn't going to be done until July! Astrid is pregnant!" Gobber exclaimed. "I'm right, aren't I!?"

Hiccup and Astrid laughed a little. "You got it, Gobber," Astrid nodded. "Hiccup and I are having a baby; I'm pregnant,"


	29. Chapter 29

**No Matter What**

Rated: M

Pairings: Hiccup X Astrid

Disclaimer; I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, but I do own the rights to my OC characters!

 **Chapter Twenty-Nine**

=Astrid's POV=

I couldn't help but laugh when everyone realized I was pregnant; it was the best Christmas I'd ever had, aside from getting to spend 2012's with Hiccup and we were a couple for it. My parents, Stoick, and Uncle Finn had been completely shocked by the information. My friends were too, but it turned into joy after I explained that Hiccup and I had made love for the first time on our one-year anniversary because I'd asked if he would because I was ready. Hiccup knew I wasn't on birth control, and he admitted that the only thing to make sense was his condom breaking or had a leak. The timing of it all happening was that I ovulated the day after we had sex, and the conception took place at the start of November. I added to the fact that I was due for my period when Hiccup left for his deployment, but due to being so upset and emotional from that; I overlooked never getting it. The only reason I found out was that the doctor office ran standard tests, and the pregnancy one came back positive. I informed everyone that I was expected to give birth on July 25, 2014, and that the Marines were doing everything they could to ensure Hiccup would get to come home for it. I told everyone that I was nine weeks and five days along on Christmas.

Currently, I'm still living at Hiccup's, and we're trying to decide what to do as far as the future went. We knew that once he got home in November from his second tour of duty, we would need to figure out living arrangements. As it stood now, Hiccup wanted me to stay at his apartment because the baby could stay in the master bedroom with me for a few months; these would be the ones where Hiccup is still on deployment. However, after all that was over, we had determined the best course of action might be for us to get a two or three bedroom residence. The three rooms idea was for me, in case I didn't want to live full-time with Hiccup in his room, but I stated that I didn't mind one bit, so we settled on saying the third area could be storage, or an office perhaps. The initial shock of my pregnancy wore off before everyone left on Christmas night. I showed everyone the first sonogram, but after that, Hiccup had to go for his ten-hour guard. Today, it was February 25. In exactly five months, I would give birth to mine and Hiccup's first child.

Heather and Fishlegs were due to have their baby next month, sometime in March. There wasn't much else going in the lives of my friends. Tuffnut and Stilsta were engaged, planning their wedding, and raising their son. Tuffnut proposed to Stilsta on Valentines Day this year, which marked their two-year anniversary. Asta and Snotlout were planning their wedding for December 2014, if all went well, they would be married before Christmas of this coming year. Everyone else was doing excellent too, and I couldn't wait for next month because hopefully, Hiccup and I would be able to find out if we're having a girl or boy. Hiccup and I decided that we wanted to know, so when the time came, we'd find out together. My racing career was temporarily on hold due to being pregnant. However, I still did appearances and whatnot, I just don't race because it's not safe. I promised to return for the 2015 season in May; it gave me time to have the baby, and take care of it on maternity leave until Hiccup returned home, and then it gave the three of us time with our baby before practices and races started up again. Everything was just perfect and working out nicely in my life. Now all I needed was for Hiccup and Toothless to come home from the war, and I'd be content.

=Normal POV=

 _{Camp Nox}_

Hiccup told himself every day that he couldn't believe he was going to be a father soon; it still shocked him to wake up every morning, and know that his beloved girlfriend, Astrid, is pregnant with his child. Each time he contacted, which was as much as he was allowed to do, Hiccup would ask how she and the baby were doing. Astrid would talk about the morning sickness not being as severe as in the beginning, and she would send pictures of her belly; the small bump was beginning to show as the months counted down to when she would give birth. Hiccup loved it all even though he was far away; it didn't change how excited he was. Hiccup and Astrid would talk about possible names, but nothing had been decided officially yet.

"Hiccup!" Cody yelled to get his attention.

"What?" Hiccup responded.

"Dude, that's the fourteenth time you've zoned off," Eret chuckled.

"Sorry, just thinking about some things," Hiccup replied to them softly.

"Such as?" Cody raised his brow.

"Well, names for the baby, uh, that I'm gonna be a father in five months. You know? It's just…Wow, I don't have the words to describe how happy it makes me, and after what happened with Camicazi; I didn't think I could feel this way again. Is it…bad that in the one year I've been with Astrid, I think that my feelings for her are deeper than what I felt for Camicazi in the four I was with her?" Hiccup asked.

"Not really. I mean, you might have been with Cami for four years, but she broke your heart, and you managed to love again. Obviously, you and Camicazi weren't meant to be. I know that can suck to hear but either way. You're with Astrid now, and if you're saying your feelings for her are deeper, then perhaps Astrid is your soulmate, or true love, whatever you want to call it," Thuggory offered.

"And hey, another thing to consider on that subject is that you and Astrid had sex once, and she ended up pregnant. How many times did you and Cami make love and nothing happened? Maybe…it was a sign that she wasn't the one for you, man," Eret nodded.

"I suppose. I love Astrid, and we're having this baby; planning to raise it together as a couple, and live with one another in our own place. I just…Guys, I wanna marry her," Hiccup admitted.

"You do?" the three males asked.

"I do. You're right. If Astrid isn't the one for me, then how is it that I began to like her so soon after the mess with Camicazi? Why is it that Astrid got pregnant the first time we ever made love? How is it that I love Astrid more than I loved Cami? Astrid has to be the one, and I don't want to be with anyone else," Hiccup informed.

"Well, if she's the one, then you better ask her, my friend," Thuggory patted his back.

"I plan to right after she gives birth to our child," Hiccup smiled.

"We're behind you 100%," Cody reminded.

"I appreciate it, guys," Hiccup told them as he took a deep breath. Yes, he was sure of his decision. Hiccup was going to as Astrid to marry him after the birth of their baby.

"Strike Team," Ryker said firmly as the four males stood up.

"There's a situation you need to handle. Come with me," Ryker commanded. Thuggory, Hiccup, Cody, and Eret got to their feet, and then followed Ryker out of the barrack. An hour later the Strike boys and their dragons were arriving at the location they had been told about to help out a pinned down team that didn't use dragons.

"Alright, there it is. What's the plan, Haddock?" Eret asked.

"Grayson. Meatsen. You two offer cover. Erickson, you're with me. We'll get these guys out and to extraction," Hiccup commanded. The other three nodded as they headed off to get the job done. Time continued to pass as the unpinning was successful, and they got the other team out, but now they were stuck in a firefight.

"Anyone have an idea of what we should do?" Thuggory inquired.

"I'll take Toothless and drive them back, you three head for the base, and I'll be right behind," Hiccup stated.

"No, we don't split the team up!" Eret protested.

"I'll be fine. I have Toothless. Ready bud?" Hiccup asked as Toothless smiled at him. Hiccup got on his back and checked over his gun. "As soon as it's clear,"

"Got it; we'll go. Be safe, Hic. Remember, you got a baby on the way, and a girl back home you want to marry," Cody reminded. Hiccup nodded as he had Toothless take to the sky and fire off a few blasts towards the enemies. Cody, Eret, and Thuggory mounted their dragons and zoomed off. Hiccup remained for about ten minutes, and when he felt it was safe to leave, he turned Toothless around as they began their return to reach the Camp Nox base. Hiccup caught up with his team, they smiled, thankful that Hiccup made it to them. The four of them regrouped on the ground, and connected hands with smiles.

"Alright, let's get the hell out of-," Hiccup started then yelled out, and clamped a hand over his arm before slumping forward a bit while cringing and panting.

"Hiccup!" Thuggory called in fear. Hiccup moved his hand away slowly, there was blood there.

"Fuck…" Hiccup grumbled.

"It's a graze. No bullet, but it cut ya pretty deeply. You'll be alright with some stitches," Eret said.

"RPG!" Cody called pointing to the incoming grenade.

"Scatter! Go, now!" Hiccup ordered. Cody, Eret, and Thuggory hit the sky with their dragons. Hiccup and Toothless go up as well, but the RPG struck the ground and exploded. "NO!" Hiccup yelled as he got knocked off Toothless, and began falling towards the ground.

"Haddock!" they yelled. Toothless narrowed his eyes and dove after his friend into the inferno below from the rocket-propelled grenade. Shots were fired as Toothless wrapped his wings around Hiccup's figure, then Toothless roared out in pain as the two hit the ground hard.

"Ericksen! Grayson. Cover fire, push them back!" Thuggory demanded at the two Marines did as they needed to. Thuggory dove down and saw that Toothless's tail; the left fin, had been shot three times, and torn slightly. Toothless opened his eyes and saw Thuggory, then revealed Hiccup to be unconscious between his legs.

"We pushed them back, Thug. What happened here?" Cody asked.

"Hiccup got grazed and is unconscious. Toothless was shot in the tail fin, and can't fly," Thuggory informed.

"I'll take Haddock. Thug, you and Cody use your dragons to carry Toothless. Hiccup needs treatment, and so will Toothless," Eret stated.

"Understood," the three agreed. Eret took Hiccup and mounted Skullcrusher. Cody and Thuggory climbed onto their dragons, Moody, who was a Hobblegrunt and belonged to Cody, then Killer, a Monstrous Nightmare named Killer, who is Thuggory's. With everything settled, the Strike Team evacuated the area, and returned to the Camp Nox.

 _{Nox Base}_

Killer, Moody, and Skullcrusher set down in their battalion location as Henrik, Viggo, and Ryker rushed forward.

"What happened?!" Viggo demanded upon seeing Hiccup laying motionless in Eret's arms, then Toothless laying awake, and in pain on the ground.

"Is…Haddock no longer with us?" Henrik inquired.

"What? No. Corporal Haddock is unconscious, and has a graze on his right arm that needs medical treatment. As for Toothless, he was shot in the tail fin, the left, and it has torn off slightly. We're not sure how you want to handle that one," Thuggory informed.

"Haddock got grazed, then an RPG struck. Toothless saved Hiccup's life, and got hurt in the process," Cody continued.

"Very well. Treatment first, then we'll take care of the rest," Henrik ordered. From there, Hiccup and Toothless were taken to the places they needed to be for care on their injuries. The night continued through, and by 1 am, it was reported that Hiccup didn't receive anything serious, but his arm was stitched, and they would be out in two weeks. Henrik made the call that Hiccup would be on light duty while healing. The second bit of information was far more grave; Toothless's left fin couldn't be saved, and had to come off. It was likely that he would be sent back to Archian State, however, none of that could be approved without the owner's consent. Therefore, nothing could be done until Hiccup woke up, and he was still unconscious. All anyone hoped was that Hiccup would return to consciousness soon so the next step could be decided upon, then carried out.


	30. Chapter 30

**No Matter What**

Rated: M

Pairings: Hiccup X Astrid

Disclaimer; I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, but I do own the rights to my OC characters!

 **Chapter Thirty**

=Hiccup's POV=

After the RPG, all I remembered was everything going black around me. Before that, I remember getting shot in the arm; I knew it wasn't life-threatening, though. It just hurt a lot, and I think that took over when things got crazy during the mission. At the moment, I could hear voices around me, but my eyes were fighting me on opening up. If I had to take a guess; I was knocked out, and my teammates and commanding officers were asking the medic when I would be waking up. I am awake, or at least I'm starting too since I can hear distant voices around me, nothing coherent. I needed to open my eyes and see where I was. I focused hard and willed myself to start moving, of course, my right arm hurt quite a bit.

"Hey, I think he's coming to finally," I heard Cody exclaim. I groaned, silently praying they didn't make a huge deal out of it.

"Hiccup?" Thuggory's voice came next. After a few tries, and feeling my body moving, I got my eyes opened and blinked to focus on my surroundings. "Oh, thank Thor," my friend breathed out in relief.

"Major Grimborn! Haddock is up," Eret said. And there went my hopes of it not being a big deal.

"Corporal. We're pleased to see you've woken up finally," I hear Viggo say. I turned my head to look at him. Coming up beside my major was Lieutenant Colonel Andersen, and Viggo's older brother, Ryker. I forced myself to sit up, ignoring the pain I felt. "Easy, son. We don't want you going unconscious again,"

"How…long have I been out?" I asked.

"What's the last thing you remember, lad?" Henrik inquired.

"I got grazed on the arm, then…there was an RPG coming at us. Toothless and I got in the air, but caught the force from the blast. I-I fell off him, and must have knocked out," I recalled while explaining.

"I found you wrapped in Toothless's wings; all three of us saw him wrap them around you, then you landed in the fire," Thuggory confirmed. My eyes widened.

"T-Tooth…less wrapped his wings around me when we went into the fire?" I questioned.

"Yeah, after you fell off, he dove to catch you," Eret nodded. Gods! Was Toothless okay?!

"I-I have to see my dragon, a-and make sure…he's okay," I insisted while trying to get up. However, Viggo and Ryker had me lay back down on the bed.

"You need to rest, Haddock. Toothless isn't going anywhere, and we don't want those stitches busting while you recover. You've only just woken up after being out for a day," Ryker informed. I had been unconscious for twenty-four hours? I looked outside seeing in nightfall again, then a clock on the wall read; **12:05 am**. It was about that time yesterday when everything happened. I needed to see Toothless. I needed to call home and check on Astrid and our child.

"Everything is fine, Hiccup. Get some more sleep, my friend," Cody tried.

"B-But Toothless, a-and Astrid…I have…to make sure everyone is okay," I attempted to get up again.

"Astrid is fine, Hiccup, and Toothless is resting in the stables. Please? Come on now, it's just past midnight. You need to rest more," Thuggory pushed.

"No. Something isn't right here. I've been asleep for this long, why do you keep pushing me to sleep more? I'm not tired. I want to see my dragon, and you're not letting me. You're hiding something; I can see it in each of your eyes. What aren't you telling me?" I demanded.

Finally, I saw them sigh, which only confirmed my suspicions that something was amiss. "Your dragon was injured yesterday, Corporal, in the fight where you were hurt. The damage was too much, and-," Henrik started. However, as soon as he'd said Toothless was hurt on the mission, I threw my covers off, and forced myself out of bed. I ran to the stables, ignoring the pain in my arm, and found Toothless's.

"Toothless…" I whispered out in shock and fear. My Night Fury laid in his stable quietly as I scanned his form with my eyes. I saw that his left tail fin was gone. Without that, Toothless would never be able to fly again!

"Toothless got shot in the tail a few times, and it began to tear off after her dove to catch you, Hiccup. The medics did what they could, but there was no saving it, or he would have developed an infection, and it could have killed him," Eret said as I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"The best course of action is to send your dragon home, Corporal Haddock. Of course, we can't without your consent," Viggo informed. I moved inside the stable as Toothless lifted his head up, and crooned when I got close to him. I rubbed his head and checked over his tail; I could see that it had already begun to heal up, and it would likely be closed by morning.

"No," I said.

"Corporal. Your dragon can't fly anymore. This situation is no different if this were a service member losing a limb; he can't serve with you without his flight," Henrik stated.

"I don't care. I won't serve without Toothless. Alright? You don't get it. Toothless is my best friend in the entire world. We have done everything together since we bonded. He's my partner, and I know I can fix this," I assured.

"How? How could you possibly be able to fix him not having a tail?" Ryker inquired.

"A veteran who loses a limb can do all the same things they used to with a prosthetic, can't they?" I asked.

"Well, yes, but-," Viggo began.

"So it stands to reason that if Toothless had a prosthetic tail, that allowed him to fly; he could still serve beside me, right?" I questioned.

"Theoretically, yes, but no one has ever…attempted such a process, Haddock," Henrik remarked.

"There were a few tries, but nothing was successful. When things like this happen, the dragons are retired for good," Ryker added on.

"Well, I will be one of those _tries_ then. Give me a month, and if I can't get Toothless back in the air…I'll send him home to my father. Is that agreeable, Lieutenant Colonel?" I asked.

"Hiccup, I don't know about this. Medical professionals couldn't pull this off, and those are people who study dragons, their anatomy, and everything. I just don't…know what you, a twenty-two-year-old young man can do to change this if they couldn't," Henrik admitted softly.

"Then you don't know me very well. Give me thirty days, and I will have Toothless flying again as if nothing changed, please?" I asked again.

Henrik sighed heavily. "Very well, Corporal Haddock. I will give you thirty days, but I expect to be kept up to date, understand?" I nodded quickly to him. "Now, will you require materials that we can provide?"

"Rope, leather, metal, hammer, and something close to a forge," I told him.

"I will get them to you by next week. I will give your arm a little time to heal, and then we'll start your thirty days. Fair?" Henrik informed. I nodded once more as I looked at Toothless.

"Don't worry, bud. I'll get you in the air again. I promise," I vowed as Toothless warbled and licked my cheek excitedly. I would do this, I knew that I could build Toothless a working tail.

Finally, the week had passed and I was cleared to get to work on my dragon's prosthetic tail. I had been working on designs with my week of _recovery_ as Henrik, Viggo, and Ryker were calling it. Henrik got everything I asked him to get, including a spot I could do some forge work. Call it old-fashioned, but I was big on stuff like that as a kid; swords, spears, daggers. I loved how they were made back in the day, so I made it appoint to study blacksmithing. I understood what my CO's were saying, no medical professional successfully made a dragon limb prosthetic. However, all their ideas were those of the modern world using robotics and what not. My concept derived from the old life, the time of Vikings, where my heritage was. I was confident that I would have Toothless flying.

I had everything ready, now I just had to start putting it together, and testing it out. Oh, and I was twenty-two now. My birthday was yesterday, or my would-be anniversary of birth was. Astrid was turning twenty-two in eleven days; I already sent her birthday gift out, and it would arrive a few days before. Henrik arranged for me to work in a quiet place to configure this prosthetic thought I was having. I started with a basic design of Toothless's tail; matching the right side's shape with a piece of tan leather. I cut two of these, then added poles were the bones would have been and connected them to something else so they would swivel right to open, then left to close. I attached all that to something that would link to Toothless's tail. I measured it all to the size and made sure it would be symmetrical. When that was completed, Toothless and I gave it a test run. It worked, to a degree.

The problem became that the tail didn't open and close on its own unless _I_ did it. However, this became the answer as I was on Toothless's tail when he flew with it. It only worked because I was adjusting the position. The desire was not lost. All this meant was that for Toothless to fly, I would have to be riding him, and control the tail, and I could definitely do that. The next things I worked on was how to do just that. The final installment was a saddle with peddles on the left and right side. The left side was connected to a rope that with a push of my foot, I altered the direction of the makeshift tail fin. And now with all that done, and two days remaining in my thirty-day arrangement with Henrik; I was testing this out. If it worked then Toothless would stay with me. I did tell Astrid about it, and she got worried, but I assured her that everything would be okay, and of course, she believed me.

"You ready?" Thuggory asked me.

"Definitely," I nodded to him. All we were waiting on was Henrik, Viggo, and Ryker to arrive to watch. Finally, they did so.

"Alright, Corporal Haddock. You say you're sure it will work this time?" Viggo inquired.

"It worked the first time. Toothless was flying, he just can't do it alone. So I've created this, a rig that lets me ride on his back, and control the tail," I explained showing the rig that was set up on Toothless. Of course, it was in all black to keep with the Night Fury appearance.

"Let's see it," Henrik invited. I jumped on Toothless's back, and pushed the pedal down to extend the tail fully. I took a deep breath, and then Toothless launched into the sky. We hovered there, then began to glide. Everything was going great in the test, now, we had to make sure we could fly the same as before. Toothless and I headed upward, climbing higher, and then I slipped from the saddle, falling again. Toothless no longer having control, dropped as well. However, I didn't give up.

"Toothless! Dive!" I called. Toothless adjusted himself, then closed his wings and came past me. I grabbed the saddle as we neared the ground. I pulled myself back into position, and locked my feet in place, then opened the tail as we swooped upward once more, and did a twirl. Toothless and I did it! We were flying, doing loops, spins, barrel rolls; it was incredible. Toothless landed before my commanding officers, then I got off his back.

"See. Toothless still does everything he used to, and all I have to do is work the tail's positioning," I told them.

"Well, it's still not ideal. Especially for situations like before where you fell. However, I also saw that you both worked together to recover from the incident. Therefore, with all of this I've seen in the last twenty-eight days; I am thoroughly impressed, Corporal. I've never seen anyone do what you did to assist your dragon. Using a forge, metal, leather, and rope? It's old world that you used to help, and I don't have the words for it. I will allow the dragon to stay, and I believe a job well done is in order," Henrik smiled.

"Hear that bud? You get to stay," I told my dragon as he licked my cheek happily. I was shocked with myself, there were a few times that I didn't know if I could do it. But I did, and now Toothless could fly again. For me, this only proved that Toothless and I had a bond like nobody else did, also that as long as I believed in myself, then there wasn't anything I couldn't do.


	31. Chapter 31

**No Matter What**

Rated: M

Pairings: Hiccup X Astrid

Disclaimer; I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, but I do own the rights to my OC characters!

 **Chapter Thirty-One**

=Astrid's POV=

 _{March 13, 2014}_

I'm officially twenty weeks and six days along! I'm considered five months pregnant right now, and I can find out if Hiccup and I are having a little boy, or girl. I'm excited, and I can't wait. The appointment is tomorrow at 10:15 am with Doctor Falk. Yes, I kept her as my doctor through the pregnancy because I've had her since I was about fifteen. Everything was going smoothly, and thank the Gods, that my morning sickness has faded off into nothing more than a bit of nausea from time to time, or around certain foods. My boobs were more significant, and you could definitely tell that I was pregnant now. My parents, Gobber, and Stoick were all fully involved, doing what they could to help me. I was living at Hiccup's still, and had a few things for the baby placed there like a bassinet. I had a five pack of bottles, bibs, booties, socks, and onesies, but I hadn't grabbed clothes yet. Hiccup and I thought we would wait to learn of the gender. I'm super excited for tomorrow because not only do I get to find out the baby's sex, but it's also my twenty-second birthday the day right after! Interesting how that worked out, right?

Oh, Heather and Fishlegs were due to have their baby next week! Everyone else was doing well in their lives whether it be raising their child or planning a wedding. Gods, the time was going right by! The only scary moment I've had in all this was when Hiccup called in February to tell me that he got shot in the arm, but it was only a graze that needed some stitches. Also, that Toothless was injured, and had lost his left tail fin. I couldn't believe it, and actually cried a bit. However, Hiccup assured me that he was going to fix everything, and by some grace of Odin, he managed to pull that off. Hiccup is now known to be the first and only person to create a dragon-worn prosthetic, and have it entirely satisfactory. I remembered it well because Hiccup had sent me videos that Thuggory took of the test runs, and the final product. I couldn't believe how complicated it looked, but how amazing it worked. Hiccup was getting interviews by news reporters who got sent to Afghanistan to cover the story of his success where every other medical professional who worked with building prosthetics on a daily basis had failed.

Hiccup had been asked to teach others how to accomplish the task, or if he was going to go into full business with such work. However, Hiccup only said he did what he did because Toothless is his best friend, and things wouldn't be right in his life without him. Hiccup does want to help others; assisting the dragons in mending their handicapped states, but currently with his deployment, he just couldn't take the task at this time. Also, Hiccup mentioned himself about to become a father, so that would have him busy too. Hiccup told those who were curious that his process of building a working tail for his dragon was trial and error based off one idea that he sculpted out to assist his dragon's needs. Toothless needed a tail fin, so he drew one out, and determined the best materials to use to make it look normal, and work as if the original limb was still in place. When Hiccup realized that no contraption he made would make the tail move as the first, he had to get creative and study how Toothless's tail worked on the right side so he could match it on the left.

Incredible, right? I was shocked, and proud. Hiccup was asked if he had different material available, could he make a tail that worked on its own. Hiccup's answer was probably, but he wouldn't know until he tried. For now, it was enough that Toothless and he could fly again, and what he needed to get that going was at his disposal to use. I assumed that Hiccup might try to make a more advanced model of the tail, but he wasn't worried about it at the moment. The work was impressive, and got the job done. Everyone back here loved it, and hoped that with Hiccup's smarts and design methods; prosthetics for all dragons would become a thing shortly. Today, Hiccup was supposed to be calling me so we could decide on a name for our baby. My phone vibrating got my attention, I looked down to see Hiccup calling me on Skype. I tapped the answer icon, then smiled as it took a moment to load the video call.

 _~There's my divine beauty. How are you feeling today, Milady?~_ Hiccup asked with a smile, though, it was lagging severely today.

"The baby and I are doing just fine, babe. I've five months now, it shows," I giggled a bit.

 _~Ah, but you're still gorgeous, Astrid. The appointment where we can find out the gender is still tomorrow right? What time?~_ Hiccup inquired.

"Uh, 10:15 am my time, so 2:45 pm for you, I believe," I informed gently. I was pretty sure I had that time right.

 _~Got it. Major Grimborn wanted to know because he's gonna make sure I'm able to call during the appointment. Thug, Eret, and Cody will be with me. Oh, possibly Ryker, Viggo, and Henrik because it seems their all invested in this journey with us now.~_ Hiccup chuckled a little.

"That's okay with me, Hiccup. I felt the baby move a little earlier," I reported to him, and smiled broadly when I saw his eyes light up with excitement.

 _~See, this is the shit I wish I were home for. Can you try to get any movement on camera for me?~_ Hiccup inquired.

"I'll do my best, Love. How are you today?" I wondered.

 _~Little tired, but I'll be okay. So let's talk about names, I'm not sure how long this signal will hold for because we're due for a storm in about forty minutes.~_ Hiccup stated.

"Okay. Well, I think we should try to go for something simple, or that represents us," I suggested.

 _~I can agree to that. What have you had in mind?~_ Hiccup questioned.

"For a boy, I was looking up a few things and came up with three, but can't choose between them of which I like more," I admitted.

 _~Which names?~_ Hiccup smiled.

"Gunnar, Magnus, and Soren. The first two mean fighter is old Norse, and the last means of Thor," I explained.

 _~Of those three, I prefer Magnus. Good strong name; goes well with Hofferson or Haddock. I wasn't sure which last name you were going to give the baby.~_ Hiccup shrugged.

"Probably yours. Just so…we wouldn't have to change our child's name if we got married. I-If that kind of thing happens," I stammered a bit.

 _~Who knows what the future holds, babe. I never imagined our first time having sex would land you pregnant, but here we are.~_ Hiccup laughed some, and I did too. It's not like I could disagree with him.

"True. Well, Magnus for a boy then. I like that. And for a girl?" I looked at him.

 _~What do you think of Ragni? It means Lovely Warrior. Lovely for you, Warrior for me. You mentioned wanting a name that represented us, and that one does,~_ Hiccup suggested.

"I actually really like that. Ragni Haddock for a girl and Magnus Haddock for a boy," I giggled.

 _~It works for m-,~_ Hiccup began, then stopped.

 _~Storm is here. Batten down boys and girls!~_ was yelled close by.

 _~Guess that's the queue for me to go and help out get ready for all this. I love the names baby, and I promise you will hear from me tomorrow for the reveal. I love you, Astrid.~_ Hiccup says.

"I love you too, Hiccup. Be safe!" I replied, and then the call ended. I took a deep breath while writing down both names we'd selected. Tomorrow, our baby would be given their name. I couldn't wait for this!

 _{3/14/2014-Sonogram Office-10:15 am}_

I had checked in five minutes ago, and was sitting down in the waiting area while holding my phone. Hiccup promised he would call, and I knew he would keep that vow to me. However, on the off chance that he was unable to because of last night's storm; I planned to have the technician write it down, and then Hiccup and I would find out together.

"Astrid Hofferson?" I hear my name be called as I stand up and move towards the nurse.

"That's me," I state.

"Right this way, Miss," the woman invites. Reaching the room, I was laid down on the table, and went through all the usual things of answering questions. Finally, the doctor came in and got things set up to do the scan. It was this moment when Hiccup called; I responded to it quickly.

=Hiccup's POV=

 _{Camp Nox-2:18 pm}_

I had been terrified that I wouldn't be able to get this call through, but after four tries, I got it! Astrid answered right away, which I expected.

 _~Hiccup! Thank Odin you made it. We're just getting ready to do the scan now.~_ Astrid greeted when her face came up.

"I'm sorry, babe. The storm had a few of our service spots out. I've been all over base with Toothless trying to find one that works. I have it, but not sure how long, so I hope this goes quickly," I told her. "I've got the boys, and commanding officers with me too," I added.

 _~Alright. Now that we have dad present. Shall we get started?~_ The sonogram technician asked. Astrid nodded, and so did I. For about five or so minutes, the woman was just checking measurements, and making sure things were as they should be for twenty-one weeks, which is what Astrid was today.

"Oh, babe. Happy Birthday! Ya know, in case I can't get a call out tomorrow for you," I told her as Astrid smiled.

 _~Thank you.~_ Astrid blushed a bit, though, it was hard to see since the room was dark. After that, the woman turned up the sound and we were able to hear the heartbeat. I never got tired of hearing it either. If I couldn't make a call, Astrid would record it for me, then I could listen later.

"Did you get my gift? I sent it out two weeks ago," I asked.

 _~I did get it, but haven't opened it yet. I wanted to wait until tomorrow to open it. You dad, Gobber, my parents, and Uncle Finn are taking me out for dinner too. Should we tell them the gender?~_ Astrid questioned.

"Might as well. Oh, did Heather and Fishlegs have their baby yet?" I wondered.

 _~Nope. I think she's due sometime next week. If not, they plan to induce her.~_ Astrid replied.

 _~Alright. Are we ready to learn if it's a boy or girl?~_ the female doing the scan asked.

 _~We are, please?~_ Astrid responded as I nodded as well. Astrid fixed the camera that way I could see the screen where the sonogram technician was moving the piece around to get the right angle.

 _~It looks like you two will be having…A little girl!~_ The woman smiled. I swear Astrid started crying, and I almost did too. A girl! Astrid and I were having a daughter! The technician labeled the sonogram with a title; **It's A Girl!** I was beyond happy. The small group behind me was hooting and hollering at the news, and patting my back. I couldn't believe it! A baby girl was growing in the womb of the woman who is the love of my life, and planned on asking to marry me as soon as this tour is over. Nothing could make this day better for me. In four months, I would be a father to a daughter; our little Ragni Haddock.

=Normal POV=

 _{Friday, July 4, 2014}_

It had been the best news to learn back in March that Astrid and Hiccup were having a girl, and she would be named Ragni Haddock, meaning Lovely Warrior, and then the last name. Of course, Astrid had a little surprise planned for Hiccup regarding the name, but she wasn't telling him until the moment came for them to give their daughter's name to the nurse taking information after the birth occurred. Heather and Fishlegs hard their daughter finally, Hilda Ingerman, who was born March 21st, 2014 when Heather's water broke as she was heading to work, and it was two days before her scheduled induction. Astrid couldn't wait for November when Hiccup would be home, even though she would get to see him for the birth, or at least that is what she hoped for. As it stood, Hiccup was set to come home a week before the birth, then he would get to stay a week after too.

Today, Astrid was taking a walk with Stormfly to celebrate that she had three weeks left since she was thirty-seven weeks officially. It was a warm day with barely any clouds, and a gentle breeze too. Astrid knew that Hiccup was on patrol for another six hours, so she wouldn't hear from him until then. The current time was 1:30 pm, so for Hiccup, it was 6 pm. Unfortunately, he would be getting off his job around midnight his time, and might only make a quick call to check in, then get some sleep. Astrid didn't mind, she knew he did a lot of work while deployed, and all she was grateful for was that he hadn't been seriously injured. Astrid was feeling a bit of pain today, a lot of movement from Ragni, and she decided to slow down her walking, and take a drink from her water bottle. Stormfly squawked with concern for her.

"I-I'm okay, girl," Astrid smiled softly, then cringed with a hand on her belly. "Easy, Ragni…" Astrid soothed. No such luck. "Time to head home, Stormfly. I don't think the little one is enjoying the walk," Astrid laughed a little, then she and Stormfly went to turn around. However, Astrid stopped quickly in her movements. Astrid felt fear and shock take over as there was a gush of warm liquid soaking her pants, and she knew what it was; her water had just broken.


	32. Chapter 32

**No Matter What**

Rated: M

Pairings: Hiccup X Astrid

Disclaimer; I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, but I do own the rights to my OC characters!

 **Chapter Thirty-Two**

=Normal POV=

Astrid stood there unable to move after feeling her water break as she and Stormfly were preparing to leave. Astrid was shocked, and scared because she was only thirty-seven weeks along, and now this had happened. What made it worse is that she knew she couldn't fly Stormfly to the hospital at the moment to get to the hospital. Astrid fumbled to get her phone, but was overcome with a bit of pain that had her gripping Stormfly to stay on her feet, and try to breathe through it as she'd read about.

' _This is bad,'_ Astrid thought, slowly becoming moring panicked about the situation. Astrid closed her eyes tightly, she needed help, and was currently alone. And unable to get her phone because when the pain shot through her, she had dropped it on the ground, and bending down hurt a lot. Astrid panted while looking around for anyone who could at least her phone for her. Stormfly squawked with worry for her rider.

"Astrid?" came a familiar voice from the right. Astrid looked over slowly to see Camicazi standing there.

"Camicazi?" Astrid cringed a bit.

"Are you okay?" Camicazi asked.

"No, m-my water just broke, and I…dropped my phone. Ow," Astrid whimpered a bit. Camicazi picked up the mobile device and handed it to Astrid.

"I…didn't know you were pregnant," Camicazi stated.

"Thi…rty-sev…en weeks t-today," Astrid held her belly.

"C-Can I help at all? Where's…your boyfriend? I can go get him for you, or maybe take you to the hospital? My car is right over there," Camicazi offered.

"Hiccup is currently deployed to Afghanistan, and on a patrol for another six hours," Astrid tried to relax a little. Camicazi could see that she was scared though.

"O-Oh, so this is…his baby," Camicazi said, a bit shocked at the information.

"Yeah. We made love for the first time last October, and wouldn't you know it, I ended up pregnant, then he got deployed in November for a year," Astrid explained quickly.

"Look, I know we haven't been on great terms, but you need help, and I'm all you've got right now. You need to get to the hospital, and then you can worry about calling people. Let me help you, please, Astrid?" Camicazi suggested. Astrid knew that Camicazi wouldn't do anything to her, especially knowing from the past that Astrid's father was the chief of police. Astrid did need help, and this was it.

"Can you…take me to the hospital, please?" Astrid questioned. Camicazi nodded as she walked over and supported Astrid to stroll towards Camicazi's car. Reaching the location, Camicazi assisted Astrid into the front seat, then she hurried around to the driver's side. Stormfly was already hovering above the car to follow them.

 _{Hospital-2 pm}_

Arriving at the hospital, Camicazi helped Astrid into the emergency entrance and informed a nurse that Astrid's water had broke at 1:35 pm, and everything looked okay. Astrid was a bit shocked that Camicazi knew what to tell the woman. Camicazi accompanied Astrid up to labor and delivering on the third floor; Astrid was taken to a room on the left side and helped into the bed after getting changed into a gown. Camicazi stayed outside the room while Astrid was checked, then allowed back in afterward when it was 2:15 pm.

"Is there…anything else I can do for you?" Camicazi asked.

"I-I don't know. My Mom is away for a spa weekend because it's her birthday tomorrow; Dad's gift to her. My father is on a crucial case, and he can't leave until tonight. Stoick and Gobber went on some trip, but are trying to find a way back. Hiccup is deployed, and I know my friends can't get here right now, they'd just have to sit in the waiting room. The nurse said I'm only a centimeter dilated, but pains I'm feeling are irregular, and this could last up to twelve hours, or more. And I have no idea how to contact Hiccup. On top of all that, my phone is dead," Astrid cried a little.

"Hey, it's alright. There's…no need to cry; we'll figure something out. Do you want me to stay with you for now? Just until…someone else can be here? I know a lot about pregnancy and births, I took a CNA course at college; I can…act as a birth partner for the time being?" Camicazi offered.

"Y-You don't…mind staying?" Astrid asked. Camicazi shook her head. "Then…Yes, I would appreciate you staying, so I-I'm not alone," she said. Camicazi pulled out her phone and dialed a number. "W-Who are…you calling?"

"Well, Hiccup needs to be informed, doesn't he?" Camicazi asked.

"Of course, but he's…deployed, and on a mission. You won't get him on his cell," Astrid informed.

"I'm not calling his mobile," Camicazi stated. "Yes, hi. I'm calling on behalf of Astrid Hofferson, girlfriend to Corporal Hiccup Haddock who is deployed to Camp Nox in Lashkar-Gah's Helmand Province of Afghanistan at the moment. Would you get an urgent message to him that Astrid is in early labor at Archian General Hospital after her water broke at 1335 hours, please?" there was a brief pause. "Thank you," Camicazi ended the call and slipped her phone into her pocket. "Don't you worry about a thing, okay? Hiccup will be here by tomorrow, and if we're lucky, right before you give birth," Astrid didn't know what it was about how Camicazi said, or maybe it was the fact Cami had gone out of her way to help, but Astrid was feeling more at ease now.

 _{Afghanistan-1845 hours}_

Hiccup was on his patrol with Strike Team, relaxing as things had been slow this evening, and it wasn't over until a little after midnight. Hiccup wanted to talk to Astrid, so he could check in on her and the baby. There were only three weeks to go now, and Hiccup was scheduled to take leave in two, so he could be there for the birth, and then get some time at home with Astrid and their daughter. Hiccup couldn't wait, and he had the proposal all planned out too.

 _ **(Alpha Company to Strike Team. Alpha to Strike, do you read me? Over.)**_

Hiccup blinked a little hearing that in his earpiece from Major Grimborn. Regardless, he held the button. (Strike Leader to Alpha. I read four out of five. Go ahead. Over.)

 _ **(Return to Nox Base immediately. There is a team on their way to take your place. Over.)**_

Hiccup didn't understand, they were supposed to be on this detail for the next five or so hours, so why were they being ordered to return to the base after only seven of them? It didn't make sense. (I copy those orders, Alpha. Strike is returning to base. Over and out.) After that, Hiccup mounted Toothless, opened his tail and the four of them shot into the sky to reach the Nox base.

 _{Nox Base-7:13 pm}_

Hiccup landed in their battalion sector, seeing Henrik, Viggo, and Ryker there. Hiccup's first thought was that this couldn't be good.

"Why the rush to get back if I can ask?" Thuggory questioned.

"Haddock. Return to Arc City as fast you're able," Henrik said firmly.

"W-Why? Has…something happened to my dad, Gobber, o-or Astrid and the baby?" Hiccup asked quickly.

"We received an urgent message from Archia Base at 1835 stating that your girl's water broke at 1335 hours and is in early labor at Archian General right now. So, off with you then. You get two weeks from the moment you land in the city. Let us know when you arrive," Viggo said.

"But's she's…only thirty-seven weeks, today as a matter of fact. Why would…her water break?" Hiccup panicked.

"You're wasting time, Haddock! Go!" Eret, Cody, and Thuggory yelled at him.

"I'm taking Toothless, he's faster than any plane," Hiccup remarked as he rushed into his barrack to take off his gear, but remain in his combat uniform while packing a few things he would need. Ten minutes later, Hiccup ran out and jumped on Toothless's back. "Top speed, pal," Hiccup commanded his friend. Toothless almost grinned as he launched into the sky with a screeching whistle from the speed. All Hiccup prayed for was that he made it in time, and everything with little Ragni was okay.

 _{AGH-2:20 am-7/5/2014}_

Hours had passed since Astrid arrived at the hospital; twelve to be exact. It had been a long venture of the labor progressing slowly. After getting checked the first time; Astrid was one centimeter dilated with random pains. However, about four hours went by, and at 6:45 pm, she had progressed to two centimeters and her contractions were regulating at five minutes apart. The next check was three hours later at 9:50 pm, and Astrid reached four centimeters dilation. The contractions hit three minutes apart around 11:20 pm, and Astrid was told she was at five and a half centimeters. When Astrid reached six around 12:15 am, she was given permission to have an epidural to manage pain, but Astrid refused; saying that she wanted to go all natural. When 1:40 am struck, Astrid made it to seven centimeters. Now, at 2:20 am, Astrid had been checked and shown to be eight centimeters dilated, and fighting through the pain of the contractions, which were almost constant it seemed.

"So help me Odin, when Hiccup gets here, I'm socking him in the arm!" Astrid flopped her head back on the pillow after another breathing through the pain session with Camicazi's instruction. Astrid had been in labor for about thirteen hours now, since it started at 1:35 pm. It was now 2:20 am; fifteen minutes short of thirteen full hours that she'd been in labor, and yet, she still had two centimeters to go before Astrid could push hers and Hiccup's daughter out.

"You know that he'll demand I leave," Camicazi reminded.

"I'll explain that you've been with me since this started, and he'll calm down," Astrid offered a smile.

"Astrid, I-I wanted to apologize for everything back then. You were right, I was a horrible friend to you, and the others. I attacked you out of jealousy when it had been my fault for losing Hiccup. Those were my choices I made, and the consequences I had to face because of them. If…Hiccup and I were meant to me, well, we would be, but we're not. So I'm sorry, and I hope that one day you will forgive me, and maybe we can be friends again," Camicazi admitted softly. Astrid looked at her carefully, she could see the genuineness of Cami's words.

"Apology accepted, and for all you've done for me today even after the transgressions we had in the past; I forgive you. I'm not sure about the friendship bit, but I do forgive you," Astrid said.

"Thank you," Camicazi smiled, then Astrid did. Not more than five minutes later, the door opened revealing Hiccup to be standing there; panting, and looking like a nervous wreck.

"Hiccup! Thank Odin," Astrid almost cried as Camicazi stepped back when Hiccup raced over and hugged Astrid tightly. "I was so afraid you wouldn't make it in time," she whimpered a little.

"I promised I would be here for this. And you can thank Toothless because I came back on him instead of by plane. What happened, babe? Is everything okay, why did your water break early?" Hiccup asked.

"It happens sometimes I guess; that's what the nurse said. The good news is that anything thirty-seven weeks and beyond is considered full term, and our daughter will be okay when she comes out. I'm eight centimeters now, two to go," Astrid informed as Hiccup kissed her lips then her forehead. Finally, his eyes landed on Camicazi, and narrowed a bit.

"What are you doing here? I explicitly told you to stay away from us," Hiccup said.

"Hiccup, no, she's okay. I asked for her to be here, settle down, please?" Astrid put her hand on his arm. Hiccup looked at Astrid right away. "My water broke when I was in the park with Stormfly. I was by myself, had dropped my phone, and scared. Camicazi was the only one to come over and offer her assistance. Cami brought me to the hospital, she's stayed with me during all this because my mom is away, trying to get an early trip back, dad is on a case, your father and Gobber were on a trip as well. I was…alone, so I named Cami my birth partner, until you came. A-And she's the one who called the Archia Base to get a message to you that I needed you home,"

Hiccup's eyes widened a little, shocked at the information. Camicazi went out of her way to help Astrid in her time of need? Hiccup hadn't been expecting that. "Well, thank you for helping her," Hiccup said, calmer now.

"No problem. It's been a busy night here, so I've been coaching Astrid along the labor. I-I took a CAN course in college, and so far, it's come in handy," Camicazi shrugged a bit.

"Hiccup, I've forgiven her for the past. Cami apologized to me, and after all she's done today; it's proved to me that she's changed, and sorry for her actions," Astrid admitted.

"I said with time, I could forgive what happened between us. If Astrid forgives you, then I do as well. However, I'm undecided if I can see you as anything more than an ex," Hiccup stated.

"I understand," Camicazi nodded. "Well, you're here now, so I should get going," she added while heading for the door.

"Wait," Hiccup stopped her as she turned to look at him. "I've…been absent for all the things I shouldn't have been. I didn't attend birthing classes, or any of that. I basically don't know what I'm doing. You've been helping Astrid this whole time, and…I'd like for you to stay for the rest, please?"

"I don't mind as long as you and Astrid are okay with it," Camicazi replied. Astrid nodded with a smile, then Hiccup did the same. Camicazi returned to Astrid's left side as Hiccup took the right. Hiccup was okay with this because as much as he wished he knew how to help Astrid through labor, he didn't, but Cami did. It made sense for her to stay since she was already this involved. Hiccup didn't care about anything else right now; he made it home, and would see the birth of his and Astrid's daughter.

 _{4:10 am}_

The time had come. A nurse came in at Astrid's request to check her because she felt like she had to push. Thankfully, the nurse confirmed Astrid was ten centimeters and fully effaced, which was ideal for pushing. Astrid said it was okay for Camicazi to stay for this as well, and Hiccup had no objections. Camicazi explained to Astrid that when she had a contraction, to push, and when the pain lessened a bit, to stop and breathe. This process continued for close to forty-five minutes. Hiccup let Astrid use his hand as a stress reliever, and continued to keep her spirits high about it almost being over. Finally, one final push and the baby was out. Astrid threw her head back, breathing heavily. Gods, it had hurt, but was worth it.

"It's a girl!" the nurse announced. Hiccup and Astrid smiled, she didn't care so much about anything else other than her daughter and boyfriend were here with her. Hiccup kissed Astrid deeply, the pulled back as Camicazi wiped away the sweat from Astrid's face. Camicazi took it upon herself to go snap a few photos for them. After the baby had been cleaned off, weighed, measured, and wrapped up, she was brought to Astrid. The glowing new mother adjusted her gown top to let their daughter latch on and begin feeding. At some point, Astrid delivered the placenta, but didn't pay any mind to it as her eyes, and Hiccup's were on their daughter. At last, Ragni Haddock had arrived, and their family had begun.


	33. Chapter 33

**No Matter What**

Rated: M

Pairings: Hiccup X Astrid

Disclaimer; I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, but I do own the rights to my OC characters!

 **Chapter Thirty-Three**

=Hiccup's POV=

I didn't know what to think after I got pulled off of a patrol by Viggo, then told Astrid's water had broken, and she was in labor. The first thing I did was pack up and reach Arc City in a record twelve hours on Toothless. We only stopped for breaks, quick ones at that, and then we started again. Getting to the hospital, I explained who I was, and wanted to know where Astrid was. I was told the third floor, and then someone there would bring me to her. So that's what I did, and soon got taken to room #329. The nurse let me in, and as soon as I saw Astrid there with no baby around, I felt relieved because I knew I'd made it home for the birth. Seeing Camicazi there had been a surprise, and I was furious at first, then Astrid explained that Camicazi had been helping her, and I couldn't stay mad. I even requested Cami remain to finish this with us because I had no idea what to do since I'd missed everything due to deployment. However, after all was said and done; Astrid gave birth at 4:57 am on July 5, 2014 to our daughter. Ragni weighed 6lbs 26oz, and measured to 19 inches long. Perfectly average and healthy, which is all I could have asked for in a baby.

Camicazi took some photos for us of when Ragni came out, was getting cleaned, measured, weighed, and wrapped up. Hell, she even snapped a shot of me next to Astrid in the bed while Ragni was breastfed by Astrid. Camicazi capture moments of Astrid's face when Ragni was out, and getting to hold her, then one of me holding our daughter. I thanked her for all of that, because they were memories I didn't want to stop seeing. Camicazi must have left around 5:30 am when everything settled down, and I thanked her once more for everything. Astrid went right to sleep once Ragni was in her bedside crib, and I was in the chair, all three of us desperately needed the rest. I'd been flying since 3pm Archian State time, and reached the hospital at 2:15 am, then by the time I laid eyes on Astrid in the birthing room, it was 2:25 am or so. After getting some much-needed downtime to close my eyes, Astrid and I were up again to feed Ragni, and change her at 8:45 am. Once she was back to sleep, we did the same, telling everyone they could come by later.

That time was now. It was 3:45 pm, and we had just gotten Ragni settled when people began to arrive. First it was parents, and my godfather. Everyone got a turn to hold the little one, then after that, it was friends coming in sections to meet the newest addition. It was now a moment where everyone was in the same room together, and I was taking my chance. I rushed out at lunchtime, and picked up an engagement ring for Astrid. It was nothing extravagant, because I knew that's not how Astrid was, but I knew she'd love it. What shocked everyone is when Camicazi returned with the newly printed pictures she took from her phone. I explained that Camicazi was there because she helped Astrid through everything until I arrived, after that, no one seemed to mind her being there, and I thanked her for the pictures. Perhaps we'd be friends, who knew? However, my focus was on the new memory I was about to make; asking Astrid to be my wife. It was July, we'd be together two years in three months, so why wait? I knew who I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.

Of course, as I'm about to do this, the nurse comes in. "Wow, full room in here," the woman pointed out.

"They all wanted to come see the little one," Astrid beamed.

"Ah, right. You two were so tired, we never got the newborn's name," the nurse reminded. Oh, shit, that's right.

"Our daughter's name is Ragni Val Haddock," Astrid said before I spoke up. I blinked. Val? When had then been decided. I saw Astrid look at me with a smile. "Ragni meaning Lovely Warrior, and Val for Hiccup's mother, Valka," she explained. The nurse smiled and left.

"Y-You gave her a middle name after my mom?" I asked.

"Well, I thought there should be a little representation of the woman who gave birth to you, because if she hadn't, well, I might not be this happy right now. I love you, Hiccup," Astrid replied. Yeah, that did it. I was entirely sure of my choice now. I had my guys watching this; Thuggory, Eret, and Cody were on Skype with their lovers, who were in the room to meet Ragni as well. The moment was perfect, and I wasn't passing it up.

"I love you too, Astrid," I smiled and kissed her lightly, then Ragni's forehead.

 _~She's beautiful, Haddock.~_ I heard Henrik comment from the background of one of the cell phones connected to Skype.

"Thank you, Lieutenant Colonel Andersen," I replied.

 _~Your leave starts today. I expect you back on July 18, 2014.~_ Henrik stated.

"Sir, yes sir. Orders received and understood," I said in response.

 _~Come along, boys. Let's give Haddock time with his family.~_ Viggo remarked.

"Wait before you all go," I said, which took them by surprise, but thankfully, they stopped. "It's time," I told them as they nodded and got ready. I saw Astrid's eyes widen a little.

"Hiccup, what…are you doing?" Astrid inquired softly, perhaps nervously too.

"Because I know you're a fan of boy bands, and since I won't be home to celebrate our two-year anniversary. The guys helped me work on a little something for you, early gift," I smiled as she blushed a bit and nodding to continue. I hooked my laptop to the TV screen in the room, then started up Skype as Kristen, Dahlia, and Brittany ended their phone calls, and one came in from Thuggory on the laptop. I pressed accept, and the three males showed on screen. I minimized the Skype call, then brought up a video file, and pressed play. It started with showing the barrack on Afghanistan, then me in front with Thuggory, Eret, and Cody behind me.

=Normal POV=

The song began playing, Hiccup as lead with his friend singing backup to the music. The song chosen was This I Swear by Nick Lachey; it had always been a favorite of Astrid's. Hiccup knew that Astrid's ideal proposal was to be sung to, so he chose to do that in a recording that his friends assisted him in doing. The song played through as Astrid was only smiling, on the verge of tears too. Hiccup secretly pulled out the box, but didn't let anyone else see it.

" _And I will love you, until forever. Until death do us part, we'll be together. So take my hand, and hold on tight! And we'll get there. Oh, we'll get there,"_ Hiccup started singing the last big live, as Astrid held his hand while he turned to face her lovingly. Hiccup released her hand as he brought the box to her line of sight, then dropped down to one knee by her hospital bed. _"This I swear,"_ Hiccup finished. "If the saying is first comes marriage then comes baby, then I believe we may have skipped a step. Astrid Hofferson, you are the love of my life, and I don't want to spend the rest of it with anyone but you. Will you do me the highest honor of becoming my wife? Will you marry me?" he asked while opening the box to reveal a gold band engagement ring with three small diamonds on each side of the band, but a seventh large round one that was fixed to the top.

Astrid let a few tears fall from her eyes, then she smiled. "I will," she responded. "YES!" she practically screamed. The room began applauding as Hiccup got on both his feet, then slid the ring on her finger before kissing her passionately.

 _~Another successful mission carried out!~_ Eret cheered.

 _~Well, shit, he's been planning this since February.~_ Cody added.

"Oh, my Gods, have you really?" Astrid asked him.

"Mmhm," Hiccup nodded.

Astrid smiled and kissed him again. "Everything is perfect now," Astrid informed afterward.

"When did you grab the ring if you've been here all day with her?" Heather wondered.

"I snuck out while she was sleeping at lunchtime. Told the nurse to tell her that if she woke up while I was gone, I went home to change out of my uniform and grab a shower. I actually just changed clothes in the bathroom and then went to the store, picked it out, and bought it then and there, then raced back here," Hiccup smiled.

"Sneaky," Astrid giggled.

"I thought that's what you loved about me, Milady," Hiccup kissed her forehead. "Now, hand over the little one because daddy wants a turn holding her," he held out his arms as Astrid placed Ragni in them gently. "There's my girl," Hiccup kissed the newborn's forehead.

 _~Alright, now we'll get out of his hair. See ya when ya get back, Haddock.~_ Thuggory smiled, then they bid their lovers a goodbye before hanging up.

"We should go as well, give the new family some time alone," Camicazi suggested with a smile. Everyone agreed as it was a momentous time for Astrid and Hiccup. For one, their daughter was born about at about 5 am, and now the two were engaged to be married. Everyone said they would be checking in, and soon left the room as Hiccup crawled into the hospital bed next to his fiance, while they admired Ragni.

"So you want to bind your life to mine, do ya?" Astrid asked.

"I want to spend our lives together, yes," Hiccup responded.

"Just one question; why me?" Astrid inquired.

"To be honest; it's because you've always been here for me. Ever since we met in November 2009, while I was still dating Camicazi. You and I were friends, and you always checked in to make sure I was doing alright. After Camicazi broke my heart, you stepped in to help pick up the pieces. You even fought Cami to make her give up her desire to have me. You've been amazing, loving, supportive; I could go on and on, Astrid. But the bottom line is that I love you, our little family here, which I hope will expand in the future, and you're always here for me, no matter what. And I promise that I will do the same for you," Hiccup explained. Astrid smiled as she shared a kiss with him. "I love you, Astrid,"

"I love you too, Hiccup," Astrid replied as they relaxed together.

It was the truth too. Astrid had been there for Hiccup as a friend, and lover at different points in their lives since meeting. Astrid was the one to help heal his heart, put the pieces back together, and then Hiccup gave it to her to protect, and that she has since October 25, 2012 when she admitted her feelings for him. Hiccup almost took Camicazi back, but then Astrid stepped up, and made it known that she liked him as he liked her. That was all Hiccup needed to be with her, and then learning that Astrid was asked to go to the karaoke lounge by Thuggory to save Hiccup from being with Camicazi again? That was more than enough for Hiccup to know he made the right decision. Astrid was the love of his life, and he wanted to spend the rest of his with her, bound it matrimony.


	34. Chapter 34

**No Matter What**

Rated: M

Pairings: Hiccup X Astrid

Disclaimer; I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, but I do own the rights to my OC characters!

 **Chapter Thirty-Four**

=Astrid's POV=

 _{Sunday, October 25, 2015-4:45 pm}_

Well, a year changes a lot if I do say so myself. Hiccup and I are getting married today, and in fifteen minutes too. I was with my mom, and Heather. Hiccup was with his dad, and Thuggory. Heather is my Maid of Honor, and Thuggory as Hiccup's Best Man. It had been a long time coming for this, but Hiccup and I wanted to wait until Ragni was a year old before we got hitched. So it was decided that day in the hospital, when she was born to hold the wedding after Ragni turned one, and on a particular day that meant a lot to Hiccup and I. October 25, 2015, which marked three years of us dating, and would mark our wedding day. There were a lot of guests, and it was worth it. Hiccup and I are getting married in the park, under the gazebo since today ended up being a beautiful Fall day where the leaves had changed color, and it wasn't too hot or cold.

So for updates, we have; Hiccup came home from his second tour of duty, and only had a few problems readjusting to being back in a civilian lifestyle. Also, Hiccup and I got our own place, a three-bedroom house, which we moved into after Hiccup came home, and the holidays were over. It was a beautiful residence, and we hoped to be there for a long time. Snotlout and Asta were married last Christmas, well, two weeks before to be exact, and Asta gave birth to a son, Haldor Jorgenson, in September 2015, just a month ago as she got pregnant in December 2014, during the honeymoon. Ruffnut and Throk were finally pregnant, rather, Ruffnut was. It seemed there were some issues with her conceiving, but she was five months along right now, and due for February. Heather and Fishlegs were still raising their child, talking about having another after they found a house to live in. Tuffnut and Stilsta were now married, that happened in May 2015, and were discussing another baby, but nothing official yet.

Oh, Brittany and Thuggory got married in February, just a little simple thing at the courthouse, then held a party with everyone in June when it was warm. Dahlia and Eret were having another child, and living in military housing. Dahlia was two months along, and expected to give birth by May 2016. And last of the group; Cody and Kirsten celebrated their wedding that occurred before the tour through August since they had their hands busy with moving into a house, and Kirsten getting pregnant in December, a month after Cody returned home. Kirsten gave birth to twins! One boy, Ander, and one girl; Anrid. Everyone was doing amazing. Even Camicazi was in a steady relationship, and it ended up being with the guy she had been cheating on Hiccup with, a fellow called Harald Hendarsen. However, today, none of that mattered because Hiccup and I were finally tying the knot. The time just reached 4:58 pm, and my mother had placed the veil over my face as my father came into the room to escort me out, and down the light blue isle towards Hiccup. I was ready for this; to marry Hiccup.

I came out of the tent I was in where I got ready, my arm was linked to my dad's while we walked to the spot we needed to be in. The guests rose as the music began, I held my bouquet of flowers while wearing a white off-the-shoulder lace dress with long sleeves, which were also lace. On my head was a small floral crown headband with a veil going over my face, hanging to my shoulders. I caught glimpses of everyone in attendance, and it made me smile broadly. Hiccup's dad, who was holding Ragni in his lap was seated on the left along with Gobber, Cody, Eret, Kirsten, Dahlia, Viggo, Ryker, and Henrik, and other members of the Lightning Squadron, and their lovers if they had one. On the right was my parents, Uncle Finn, Snotlout, Asta, Fishlegs, Tuffnut, Stilsta, Throk, Ruffnut, and we even invited Camicazi, and her boyfriend, Harald. I considered her my friend again, and I think Hiccup did too, but I wasn't entirely sure.

Finally, I was standing before my soon-to-be-husband. My father unlinked my arm from his, and placed my hand in Hiccup's before he kissed my cheek, then stepped back to sit with my mother.

"I shouldn't be allowed to marry a Goddess like you, Milady," Hiccup said while offering a slight bow. I couldn't help but giggled a bit.

"Well, lucky for me that I get to choose who I spend the rest of my life with, and I pick you," I replied. Hiccup locked his fingers with mine, then we faced the preacher. It was time to do this, and I couldn't be more excited.

=Normal POV=

"Family, friends, and guests. I welcome you to the marital union between Hiccup and Astrid. Today you will witness two lives, and hearts become one with the vows of eternal love for one another. If there are any here who feel these two should not be joined in matrimony, speak now or forever hold your peace," the preacher addressed the guests. Of course, no one spoke. "Wonderful then. We'll move it right along. Astrid Hofferson, do you take Hiccup Haddock to be your lawfully wedded husband through anything you two face no matter what until death do you part?"

"I do," Astrid replied.

"Hiccup Haddock, do you take Astrid Hofferson to be your lawfully wedded wife through anything you two face no matter what until death do you part?" the preacher man asked Hiccup.

"I do," Hiccup responded with a smile.

"May I have the rings?" the preacher inquired while holding his hand out. Thuggory pulled them out of his inside jacket pocket, then handed the two gold bands to the man. "Astrid, will you repeat after me, please?" Astrid nodded to him while taking the thicker ring from him, the positioning it to be slid on Hiccup's finger. "With this ring, I thee wed, and bind my life to yours,"

"With this ring, I thee wed, and bind my life to yours," Astrid said while placing the ring where it needed to be.

"Now you, Hiccup," the preacher handed the small band to Hiccup, who looked into Astrid's eyes, and slid the ring on her finger.

"With this ring, I thee wed, and bind my life to yours," Hiccup repeated off memory.

"Honored guests; you have witnessed the exchange of vows and rings between these two young lovers. It is with authority vested in me by Archian State, and my great pleasure to pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride," the preacher informed as Hiccup lifted the veil over Astrid's face, and let it drape down the back of her head as he cupped her cheek, then pressed his lips to hers passionately. The room uproared with applause, and then a moment later, Hiccup and Astrid pulled apart. The two held hands, and faced everyone.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, may I present Mr. and Mrs. Haddock for the first time!" The DJ announced. "And now our newlyweds will share their first dance together," he added on as the room dimmed a bit, and Hiccup led Astrid to the dance floor after she passed her bouquet onto Heather to hold. The song began soft, and everyone soon realized that there were no words. However, it didn't go unnoticed that Hiccup had a microphone hooked around his ear.

"Ah, he's gonna sing live to her!" the girls swooned.

" _Oooh. Grandma and Grandpa painted a picture of sixty-five years, in one little house. More than a memory, more than saying I Do. Kiss you goodnights, and I Love You's. Me and you, baby, will walk in their footsteps. Build our own family, one day at a time. Ten little toes, a painted pink room. Our beautiful baby looks just like you!"_ Hiccup sang as Astrid smiled, but also looked like she was about to start crying as Hiccup danced slowly with her.

" _And we'll build this love, from the ground up. Now til forever. It's all of me, all of you. Just take my hand, and I'll be the man your dad hoped that I'd be. And we'll build this love, from the ground up. For worse or for better. And I will be all you need. Beside you I'll stand. Through the good and the bad, we'll give all that we have, and we'll build this love…From the ground up,"_ Hiccup continued as he dipped Astrid once, then brought her up to him again.

" _This life will go by in the blink of an eye, but I wouldn't want to spend it without you by my side. The clouds are gonna roll, the Earth's gonna shake, but I'll be your shelter through the wind and the rain!"_ Hiccup kissed her cheek.

" _And we'll build this love, from the ground up. Now til forever. It's all of me, all of you. Just take my hand, and I'll be the man your dad hoped that I'd be. And we'll build this love, from the ground up. For worse or for better. And I will be all you need. Beside you I'll stand. Through the good and the bad, we'll give all that we have, and we'll build this love…From the ground up,"_ Hiccup kept up the dancing while the music played, and then he stopped to stare into her eyes.

" _Someday we'll wake up, with thousands of pictures. Of sixty-five years, in this little house. I won't trade for nothing, this life that we built. I'll kiss you goodnight, and say I Love You still!"_ there was a brief pause, and then he span her around once as she smiled broadly, and they continued to dance as if it were just them in the room. Nothing else seemed to matter at the moment. _"And we'll build this love, from the ground up. For worse or for better. And I will be all you need. Beside you I'll stand. Through the good and the bad, we'll give all that we have, and we'll build this love…From the ground up. Oooh. From the ground up. Ooh,"_

At the end of the song, Hiccup leaned in and kissed Astrid deeply, not caring who saw. The room began to clap for them as Hiccup turned off the mic, then broke apart from Astrid as he handed the device back to the DJ, thanking him for what he did. After that, the music was a general mix of slow or fast while Hiccup and Astrid walked over to Stoick, and saw Ragni reaching for one of them to hold her. Hiccup lifted his daughter into his arms, then kissed her cheek as Astrid did the same on the other side. Moving Ragni to his left side, he snaked his right arm around Astrid's waist as the two kissed again. Everything had gone correctly, and now the rest of their night would be to celebrate with friends before they went on a two-week vacation with their dragons, and Ragni would be staying between Stoick's and the Hofferson's.

Astrid and Hiccup were overjoyed that they were now married. For Hiccup, he was over the moon because all this happened when Astrid was there for him. Sure, it didn't seem like much, but Astrid did more for Hiccup than anyone else after the situation with Camicazi. Astrid talked to him every day, she kept him busy, and distracted. Astrid gave him someone to talk to, and she helped picked up the pieces of his broken heart. In turn, Hiccup began to like Astrid a lot, and gave his heart to her for protection, as Astrid had given hers to him. Hiccup went through a lot, both good and bad, but Astrid had been at his side for it all, and he knew that she always would be. Hiccup made that realization, and decided to marry her, and today they have done that; binding their lives to one another. Astrid vowed to love him forever, and always be there, and Hiccup promised to do the very same for his wife, no matter what.

 **~Author's Note;** _And so ends the story; No Matter What. A little drabble of Hiccup getting his heart broken, then picked up and healed by another which proves to Hiccup that she is the love of his life, and will be there for him as he will for her no matter what. As for the next story, I have MANY ideas written down in a document, and I'm currently filing through to select the next choice. So bear with me, and you'll have something new to read soon. Thank you again for all the continued support! -Nightstar Fury_


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